Thomas Pieters continued to press his claims for Ryder Cup selection as he equalled the course record at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort while playing alongside European Captain Darren Clarke in round one of the Made in Denmark.
The Belgian followed up his fourth-placed finish at the Olympic Men's Golf Competition by finishing second at the D+D REAL Czech Masters last week, but he cannot now qualify automatically for the European Team that will go to Hazeltine in September.
That means he will have to hope for a Captain's pick from Clarke on Tuesday and, while playing alongside the skipper and potential team-mate Andy Sullivan, he fired a 62 to take a share of the clubhouse lead with Swede Joakim Lagergren.
The nine under par totals matched the record of Kristoffer Broberg and gave the duo a one-shot advantage over Welshman Bradley Dredge.
Pieters started on the back nine and made four birdies in six holes before dropping a shot on the 16th and then making back-to-back gains to turn in 30.
Further gains on the first, third, fourth and sixth - following an excellent up and down after he put his approach into the crowd - had the 24 year old on the brink of breaking the record but three closing pars saw him settle for a tie.
Lagergren had already achieved that feat as he picked up birdies on the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, second, third, fourth, sixth and eighth in an unblemished effort.
Welshman Dredge has an impressive record at this event - finishing second in 2014 and sixth last year - and after opening with a bogey on the tenth, he made six gains in his next eight holes - including five in a row from the 14th.
Further birdies followed at the third, fifth and sixth to leave Dredge just a shot off the lead on a morning of low scoring.
American David Lipsky finished sixth in Prague last week and continued his good form with birdies on the 13th, 14th, 16th, sixth, eighth and ninth to sit at six under.
Indian Jeev Milkha Singh was a shot further back after six birdies and a bogey in his 66, a shot clear of English pair Daniel Brooks and Chris Paisley, Italian Nino Bertasio and Scot Richie Ramsay.
Swede Robert Karlsson gave the crowds on Himmerland Hill an early cheer as he made a hole-in-one at the signature 16th hole, sinking a pitching wedge from 124 yards for the 33rd ace of the season.
