England's Lee Slattery made a spectacular start to the SAS Masters in Malmo with birdies on the first four holes and then another at the 448 yard sixth.
On the longest course in European Tour history at 7,665 yards the 30 year old from Southport, only 136th on this season's Race to Dubai, jumped into a three stroke lead over Swede Niclas Fasth and Australian Brett Rumford.
World Number Seven Henrik Stenson, the highest-ranked player in the field, was among the later starters, but former Ryder Cup star Jesper Parnevik set off with six straight pars on the back nine.
Fasth, a team-mate of Parnevik in the 2002 European side that won at The Belfry, birdied the 12th and 15th, while ex-Irish Open champion Rumford matched Slattery's birdies on the opening two holes.
