Thomas Bjørn opened with a five under par 66 to share the lead with England's Nick Dougherty, Scotland’s Alan McLean and 49 year old South African David Frost at the first round of The Celtic Manor Wales Open.
The Dane carded three birdies in a row from the 14th in his seven birdie, two bogey round and completed an impressive finish to his round when he picked up a shot at the par five last.
“I played nice all day to be honest,” he said. “I made a couple of stupid bogeys early on and that didn't get the round going, but I hit some lovely shots on 14 and then a good drive on 15 up on the green and a lovely seven iron into 16 and they gave me those three birdies in a row there. That kind of took the round to where I was really playing.”
“It's nice, I played good, solid golf without being perfect. I just hit some good shots. To be honest 14 is always a testing hole on this golf course and I got away with a very good drive there and hit an eight iron close. When you play the tough holes well, all of a sudden it's possible to shoot good numbers, and that's what I did today.”
Dougherty, who finished fourth in the event last year, played a magnificent chip at the last for his fifth birdie and then recalled the great times he had at the venue with his mother, who died suddenly just over a year ago.
"I love it here. She was Welsh and I've found the Welsh people very receptive to me," he said.
“It was an awesome shot to be fair [the chip at the 18th]. I executed it perfectly, and it was particularly tough. I'm not sure if you can see that on TV how much slope there was off the right, but it was my only option really. It turned out to be a really nice day.”
Frost compiled a flawless round on the Twenty Ten course - which will stage next year’s Ryder Cup - and admitted he had surprised even himself with his round of 66.
“I didn't expect it around here,” he said. “The golf course isn't really built for my game - it's a little long.
“Going into the par fours is three, four and five irons, and a lot of guys are out there hitting seven, eight and nine irons, as I say I'm very pleased but surprised.”
McLean joined the leading trio late in the day having been in one of the final groups to go out this afternoon, but the South African raised Scot, who lives in Canada, showed signs he is recovered from the foot injury that hampered his 2008 season.
“I was very happy with my round today coming off the last two weeks where I was not overly confident, and to shoot five under par, I was very happy,” he said.
A stroke behind the leading players Pablo Larrazábal, Taco Remkes and Fabrizio Zanotti all signed for rounds of 67.
Spain’s Larrazábal displayed how quickly a round can change, when two under after his outward nine holes he then hit a wild approach shot at the sixth into the water and had to take a drop, resulting in a bogey.
Having taken a swipe at some reeds with his club in frustration, the 2008 Open de France ALSTOM winner then celebrated in style as he recorded a hole in one at the par three seventh, his tee shot bouncing twice into the cup.
“It was a great shot,” he said. “I thought it was the perfect club, if I hit it perfect, and I hit it perfect and I made it, so, great.”
Larrazábal was not alone in his feat on day one, however. Indian Jeev Milkha Singh produced the day's second ace on the 196 yard 13th and then Dane Mads Vibe-Hastrup followed Larrazábal in.
Paraguayan Zanotti was another to have a round of two halves. The World Number 317 parred every hole on the front nine, but only had one on the back nine.
He birdied three in a row from the tenth, the 14th and 15th and also the last with consecutive bogeys at the 16th and 17th for a four under total.
