Nick Dougherty has gotten off to a fine start in his bid to win the SAS Masters and claim a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup Team.
The Englishman, who is 15th in the standings with three events to play, holed a 142 yard shot for an eagle two on the 12th - he started on the back nine - and then added a birdie three at the 14th.
It leaves him three under par after ten holes, tied with Peter Fowler, who responded to a bogey at the third with five birdies. A bogey at the 13th has brought the Australian back to three under and a two-way tie for the lead.
Back on the Arlandastad course where he was a joint runner-up last year, Dougherty looked like dropping a stroke straightaway as he teed off in wind and rain.
But a putt from 30 feet saved him an opening par and his eagle came with a wedge - the hole was playing downwind - shortly afterwards.
Not that he knew it had gone in for several minutes - it was only discovered when playing partner Robert Karlsson peered into the cup.
When Dougherty then salvaged par on the next with a nine feet putt he had had only four putts in the first four holes.
A birdie at the 399 yard 14th took him to three under, but Fowler and his fellow Australian Scott Barr, playing together, both birdied the 11th to join him.
Fowler then collected a shot and promptly gave it back at the 13th, while Barr also took a bogey five at the 13th to drop down to two under.
Also in contention on two under are Robert Dinwiddie, Swede Magnus Carlsson, Benn Barham, Wales’ Garry Houston David Lynn and Jean-François Lucquin of France.
Elsewhere, Simon Wakefield is level par after ten, Karlsson is one over through seven, as is D J Trahan.
Martin Kaymer and Chris Wood, making his professional debut four weeks after his brilliant fifth-place finish at The Open Championship, are among the later starters.
