The battle to keep hold of playing privileges on the European Tour got under way at the Portugal Masters on Thursday morning and Mikko Korhonen made a big move to take a share of the clubhouse lead.
The Finn kept hold of his card for the first time in his career in 2015 as he finished 90th on the Race to Dubai and arrived at Victoria Clube de Golfe in 116th, needing a top 26 finish to have any chance of doing it again.
An opening seven under par 64, then, was just what the doctor ordered as Korhonen shared the lead with America's David Lipsky and English duo Callum Shinkwin and Matthew Baldwin.
Lipsky and Shinkwin are both battling to qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai while Baldwin requires a top two finish to avoid a trip to Qualifying School after a torrid season.
The 30 year old is beginning to find his game again, though, making four cuts in his last eight tournaments after making just one in his first 22 outings of the season.
Swede Jens Fahrbring also needs a top two this week and he was a shot off the lead alongside Spanish duo Alejandro Cañizares and Nacho Elvira and Frenchman Edouard España, who requires a win to keep his card.
Scot Marc Warren started with six birdies in a row to sit six under with 12 to play, with a few players believing the conditions here this week are perfect for the European Tour's first 59.
A trip to Q-School should provide no fear for Korhonen who came through that test in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 when he finished first, but he will not need to make that journey should he continue his early form.
The 36 year old turned in 33 with three birdies and a bogey but then rattled off five birdies in a row to take a share of the lead. A bogey followed on the 16th but a stunning approach to tap-in range brought a ninth birdie of the day on the last.
Lipsky had been the first man to finish on seven under, turning in 35 after starting on the tenth but making six birdies on the front nine to fly up the leaderboard.
Shinkwin also started on the tenth and overcame a double-bogey on the 11th to turn in 32 and then take the same amount of blows on the front nine.
Baldwin recorded eight birdies and a single blemish in his 64 on a day of expected low scoring in Vilamoura, with just eight of the 66 morning starters over par.
España had been blemish free until he bogeyed the last, with Fahrbring also recording just a single bogey in his 65.
Cañizares turned in 30 from the tenth with the help of an eagle on the 12th but then came home with nine straight pars while Elvira was bogey-free, producing a stunning chip from the greenside rough on the 16th for a brilliant par save.
Three-time Major Championship winner Padraig Harrington - who chipped in for an eagle on the par four 15th - was then at five under with English pair Ben and Ryan Evans, South African George Coetzee, Dane Lasse Jensen and Swede Joakim Lagergren.
Defending champion Andy Sullivan was then in the group at four under alongside in-form playing partner Alex Noren.
