Pedro Linhart, Nick Dougherty and Peter Hanson share the lead on four under par after shooting fine first round scores of 66 at the SAS Masters.
Hanson and Dougherty had already set the benchmark earlier in the day, but were later joined by Spain’s Linhart who balanced three bogies with seven birdies.
Initially it looked as if the 45 year old would struggle when he dropped a shot at the 11th - he started on the tenth - but he quickly recovered with birdies at the 12th, 14th and first holes.
Bogeys followed at the second and seventh, but he diluted their impact with birdies at the third, fifth, eighth and ninth for a front nine score of 31.
Hanson, starting on the back nine, also gave little indication of what was to come when he sandwiched birdies at the 15th and 16th with bogeys at the tenth and 18th, but then his fortunes changed.
He followed a birdie at the first with another couple at the fourth and fifth. A run of three straight pars then followed for the Swede before he wrapped up an inward nine 30 with a birdie at his last hole.
England’s Dougherty, 15th in the European Ryder Cup standings, joined Hanson on four under after a flawless round containing two birdies and an eagle.
The Englishman 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.
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 taken only four putts in the first four holes, while a birdie at the 399 yard 14th took him to three under. He was then bunkered in two at the 558 yard ninth, his 18th, but made a ten feet putt for a share of the clubhouse lead.
If he could take the title on Sunday Dougherty would be right on the heels of Oliver Wilson and Soren Hansen, who are ninth and tenth in the points race.
"It's been a long while since I've had a round with no bogeys," he said. "I had plenty of them last week, that's for sure." He had rounds of 77 and 82 at the US PGA Championship.
"I've not played a good round in what feels like forever, but I played some really really great golf there.
"You've got to turn the corner somewhere, so hopefully this is where it starts.
"Even if I win here I'm not going to be in the team, but I believe I still have an opportunity to make the side (in the next two weeks).
"If I don't make it, though, I won't feel disappointed with myself. I've done what I can and playing is fully acceptable."
In the chasing pack at three under, Australia’s Peter Fowler is joined by Gary Orr, Peter Baker, Paul Broadhurst, Robert Jan Derksen, Martin Erlandsson and Terry Pilkadaris.
Early on it looked as if both Fowler and Orr would hold a share of the lead. Fowler stormed to four under after five birdies nullified the bogey he collected at the third, but then he bogeyed the 13th to fall back.
Orr, meanwhile, was four under after 17 holes courtesy of two birdies and an eagle, but a bogey at the last combined with a dropped shot at the tenth to dock his score.
Elsewhere, Robert Karlsson shot 73, while Martin Kaymer is one under after a 69. Chris Wood’s first round as a professional was completed in 70 strokes.
American D J Trahan, among the leading candidates for one of Paul Azinger's four wild cards, managed a three over 73 after accepting an invitation to play.
"It would normally upset me more, but my head was not in it - it felt like jetlag," he said. "I still feel good about tomorrow."
