Local favourite Thomas Detry delighted the bumper home crowds with an opening 67 to sit in an excellent position heading into the second round of the Belgian Knockout.
South African Dean Burmester and England's Chris Paisley led the way at six under after a pair of 65s, with the top 32 from each side of the draw after 36 holes advancing into the knockout stages over the weekend.
The remaining players will then go head to head over six rounds of nine hole knockout stroke play to determine a winner, with Burmester, Paisley and Detry all in commanding positions to move through.
Norway's Espen Kofstad and South African J C Ritchie were at five under, a shot clear of Detry, American Sihwan Kim, England's Oliver Wilson and Dane Jeff Winther.
Detry was eliminated in the round of 64 last season at Rinkven International Golf Club and will be looking to go better than that in a 2019 season where he has made every cut barring the Volvo China Open, where he had to withdraw with a neck injury.
The 26-year-old birdied the 13th and then made a hat-trick of gains from the 15th before dropping a shot before the turn. He picked it back up on the third and fought his way back in level par, getting a nice bounce off a tree at the seventh and making an excellent up-and-down on the ninth.
“I’m very happy," he said. "It wasn’t that easy out there, a bit breezy and cold this morning as well, but very happy with how I played out there. I got some good vibes, I played great here last year and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
“It’s quite fun to see all the little kids who haven’t had a chance to watch us play at tournaments and to see then out here it’s quite fun, and good for the game of golf in Belgium.
“I remember how I was looking up at Nico (Nicolas Colsaerts) when I was little, you know Nico was a bit of a god for me and now he has become a friend, so I know exactly what they are feeling. Those kids are probably pretty excited and seeing stars in their eyes, so it’s quite fun.”
Burmester's 65 was his lowest round of the season by two shots as he regained form after making five cuts from 13 events so far.
Those kids are probably pretty exblockquoted and seeing stars in their eyes, so it’s quite fun - Thomas Detry
The 2017 Tshwane Open champion birdied the 11th, 12th, 15th and fourth, hit a stunning approach into the eighth and holed from 12 feet on the ninth.
"I felt really comfortable," he said. "I didn't play last year but I grew up on a course very similar to this - narrow and a lot of dog-legs. It was nice to get out there and get it done.
"I've been playing well for quite a while but mentally it's just not been there, it's been a bit of a struggle out there."
Paisley had his best result of the season so far with a top five at last week's Made in Denmark presented by FREJA and he brought that momentum to Antwerp.
He turned in 33 with three birdies and a bogey but then made a gain on the third and put his second at the par five fifth inside six feet for an eagle. A bogey followed on the next but excellent approaches into the eighth and ninth gave him a share of the lead.
“To be tied leader after the first round anytime is great, so it is nice to be back playing well again," he said. "Drove the ball really nicely and holed a couple of putts along the way.
“It’s the kind of course that I grew up on in the north east of England. We have a lot of short, tight tree-lined courses and that’s exactly what this is. As long as you keep the ball in play there will be a lot of birdie chances on the green."
Kofstad enjoyed a top 15 last week in Denmark and he made birdies on the 12th, 13th, 16th, 17th and fifth, while tournament invite Ritchie was also bogey free with gains on the 11th, 13th, 14th, 18th and first.
Winther was bogey free in his 67, while Kim and Wilson both combined seven birdies with three dropped shots.
Home favourite Kevin Hesbois, Englishman Oliver Fisher and Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia were all at three under in their half of the draw, nine shots better off than tournament host Thomas Pieters.
