Lucas Herbert produced a big finish to share the clubhouse lead with Brett Rankin on day one of the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort.
Home favourite Herbert birdied three of his last five holes in a 67 to get to five under and sit a shot ahead of countrymen Nick Cullen and Travis Smyth, and New Zealand's Ryan Chisnall.
Rankin was one of the later starters in the morning and he matched Herbert in coming home in 32 to join his fellow Australian at the top of the leaderboard, with local favourites and New Zealanders taking the top 11 spots.
Herbert finished in the top ten at the 2018 edition of this event in a brilliant debut season on the European Tour, while Rankin is making just his 12th appearance.
Herbert made a fast start from the tenth as he went birdie-birdie-eagle but he gave the bulk of those gains back by the turn as he dropped shots on the 13th, 14th and 18th.
He bounced back with a gain on the first and picked up further shots on the sixth and eighth before holing a monster putt on the ninth to take the lead.
Rankin birdied the 11th and 12th and while he dropped a shot on the 14th, he made gains on the first, third and seventh before hitting a stunner into the par five ninth.
Smyth and Chisnall each dropped just a single shot in their rounds of 68, while Cullen made six birdies and two bogeys.
Kiwis Ryan Fox, Harry Bateman, David Smail and Nick Voke were at three under alongside Australians Andrew Dodt and Michael Wright.
