Maybe it was being reunited with his Ryder Cup Team this week that inspired him, but whatever it was Colin Montgomerie was in fine form as the BMW PGA Championship began at Wentworth Club.
At 462nd in the Official World Golf Ranking after almost three years without a win, the 47 year old Scot birdied three of the first four holes in blustery and cold conditions.
It made him joint leader with 18 year old Matteo Manassero, who could move into the world's top 15 if he captured his third European Tour title this weekend.
As for the battle for the World Number One spot between Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, the early advantage belonged to Donald. Both birdied the long fourth, but Westwood had bogeyed the previous hole.
Montgomerie used to talk of being "one up" on the first tee of the West Course, such was his record - three successive victories in The European Tour's flagship event just over a decade ago and a World Match Play victory as well.
In the first three hours' play there were only three birdies at the 473 yard opening hole into the wind and they came from Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and big-hitting Alvaro Quiros.
Montgomerie then birdied the 465 yard third and added another on the par five fourth. Manassero, 17th on his debut in the tournament a year ago, matched that and also picked up twos on both the second and fifth.
They were a stroke ahead of Clarke, Quiros and England's Ross McGowan, while US Open Champion Graeme McDowell was alongside Donald on one under and Rory McIlroy alongside Westwood on level par.
Montgomerie, who made his debut in the event four years before Manassero was even born, led on his own when his fourth birdie came at the short fifth.
Manassero, meanwhile, was joined when Donald birdied the sixth and seventh and then by McGowan as well with a three at the 416 yard 11th.
Westwood, though, had his second bogey at the sixth to be one over and McIlroy's double-bogey there put him two over.
Montgomerie had to wait only until the 391 yard eighth for his fifth birdie, but he had company at the top as Donald birdied the ninth and short tenth.
McIlroy, though, fell eight adrift when he dropped another shot on the eighth and both Westwood and McDowell stood one over.
Montgomerie, out in a brilliant 30, missed the green on the short tenth and bogeyed to slip to four under, but came straight back with another birdie.
As that was happening Donald bogeyed after pulling his approach to the 480 yard 12th into the trees, but he responded with a further birdie too.
At five under again they were two ahead of Manassero, while Westwood had recovered to level par with birdies on the ninth and tenth.
