Callum Shinkwin was the surprise clubhouse leader at the midway point of the first round on a busy leaderboard at the 100th KLM Open.
The 26-year-old currently sits 126th in the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex and 446th in the Official World Golf Rankings, but he belied his status to card a superb six under par 66 to lead a large chasing pack at The International.
Shinkwin has made eight cuts from 17 events on the European Tour this season but has not made one since The 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July due to illness and a back injury.
However, the Englishman reached the turn in 32 courtesy of an eagle, three birdies and one dropped shot before a blemish free back nine - which included two gains - helped him to the top of the leaderboard alongside South African Haydn Porteous.
Porteous rolled in seven birdies and one bogey to join Shinkwin at the summit after 14 holes, with the two time European Tour winner looking to stamp his authority in Amsterdam.
Malaysian Gavin Green made a trademark fast start to finish on five under, with Shinkwin’s playing partner Swede Per Langfors and Scot Marc Warren also carding 67 while Spaniard Eduardo De La Riva was at that mark with four holes remaining.
The 2017 Masters Tournament champion Sergio Garcia led a group of five players one shot further adrift at four under on a low scoring morning in the Netherlands.
Local favourite Rowin Caron made a brilliant start to his home tournament and led playing partners Shinkwin and Langfors in a terrific trio at five under at the 12th.
The young Dutchman was blemish-free through 15 holes but when Langfors recorded a birdie at the same hole, the Swede became joint leader.
Shinkwin waited just one more hole to move to five under thanks to a calm five foot putt and join his two playing partners at the top of the leaderboard, but a par at the 17th was enough to sit one ahead when Caron and Langfors registered bogeys.
Green birdied the ninth - his last - to make it a three way tie for the lead with the Englishman and 18-year-old Dane Nicolai Højgaard, who carded his sixth gain at the 13th, on five under par.
Langfors increased the group to four with a bounce back birdie at the last, but Shinkwin jumped ahead on his own with a three foot gain at the 18th.
Porteous made his move to the summit with four birdies in five holes on the back nine to sit alongside Shinkwin, while Warren was in the clubhouse one shot back following seven gains and two bogeys.
De La Riva dropped a shot on his opening hole - the tenth - but responded with five birdies from the next six holes before picking up a stroke at the par five third.
Garcia was bogeyless in his 68, recording birdies at the tenth, 11th, first and eighth after starting on the back nine on his event debut, with Caron also finishing on four under par.
English duo Chris Paisley and Sam Horsfield and Højgaard were at four under with two holes left.
Defending champion Wu Ashun was one of six players at three under par, including two time KLM Open winner and playing partner Joost Luiten who came home in a remarkable 30 after carding his opening front nine in three over.
