Defending champion Francesco Molinari sat in a six-way tie for the lead at the end of the first round of the Italian Open after delighting home fans with a stunning 64.
Here, we take a look at what some of those in the chasing pack had to say after their rounds.
George Coetzee (65, -6)
"I stayed calm after the bogey on the first and kind of plugged away at it. I hit a lot of good shots and, all in all, it was a decent day. My golf's been good, really good, the last couple of weeks. Last week I got a bit of a cold and I wasn't in the mix much but hopefully this week, it will be better."
Byeong Hun An (65, -6)
"My ball-striking was really good to be fair. I hit one bad shot - that's it. Other than that, it was perfect. It was solid hits. I had birdie chances on almost every hole. My ball-striking was probably the best so far this year."
Alex Noren (66, -5)
"I'm very happy. I played pretty well - not great off the tee maybe but good with the putter. I got up-and-down a few times and that helps. The putter was the best it's been for a while. That was the main reason."
Sergio Garcia (66, -5)
"I'm happy with it. Obviously there were some chances there that maybe I could have taken care of but you can't really make them all, or at least some days you can't. At the end of the day, I played nicely. I putted quite well, made some good putts here and there. It was a good, solid round and I'm excited to hopefully do more of the same over the weekend."
