First man out Lee Slattery appeared to have some of the wind taken out of his sails by an hour long stoppage in play at the SAS Masters in Malmo.
The 30 year old Englishman birdied the first four holes and went to the turn in a spectacular six under par 30 over a Bärseback course which at 7,665 yards is the longest in European Tour history.
But then came the hold-up because of the threat of lightning and when he returned to action Slattery hit a tree with his second shot to the 547 yard 12th hole and by failing to get up and down from just off the green ran up a bogey six.
At five under his lead was down to two over Australian Brett Rumford, while sharing third place one further back were Swedes Niclas Fasth, Johan Edfors and Qualifying School winner Oskar Henningsson, plus Spaniard Pablo Martin, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Northern Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell.
Former Ryder Cup star Jesper Parnevik, back in Europe for one week after making only five cuts in 15 starts on the US PGA Tour while battling back trouble, bogeyed the 17th and second to stand two over.
Favourite Henrik Stenson, World Number Seven and winner of the Players Championship in Florida in May, was among the later starters whose tee-off times had to be pushed back because of the hold-up.
Slattery was in bunkers on the 15th and 16th, but got up and down both times - first for par and then for a birdie which took him back to six under.
Rumford, though, picked up further shots on the tenth and 12th to be only one behind and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, last year's Open de France champion, was only two behind with six to play as well.
