Rhys Davies and Ignacio Garrido are tied for the lead after day one of the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Davies, a 24-year-old graduate of the Challenge Tour, and Spain's Garrido both opened with fantastic seven-under-par 65s. Davies did not card a single birdie during his round, while Garrido blotted his copybook with just one, on the seventh.
"I had a decent showing in the Middle East before India and I think that was important for me," Davies said, alluding to his sixth-placed finish in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
"I fed off that and that is the key for me: when I start to make some birdies I want to take advantage of the fact I am playing well in that moment and really push on and make as many as possible."
Garrido, meanwhile, was just as enthused by his opening salvo in Kuala Lumpur.
"I am very pleased," he said. "I think to start with a 65 in any golf course is a great score, but around here, for me to come here with all of the differences there are between here and Madrid where I have spent the last couple of months playing in the snow, then it is a very good score for me."
Davies and Garrido lead the event by one troke from Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and South Korean Dae-Hyun Kim.
Meanwhile, Garrido's compatriot, Alejandro Canizares, is tied for fifth place on five-under alongside another Korean in the shape of KJ Choi and England's Mark Foster.
Peter Lawrie leads the Irish charge after kicking off his campaign with a 69. Darren Clarke is one-over, while Gary Murphy is five shots further adrift.
Maybank Malaysian Open
Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1st Round Leaderboard Latest (Play suspended):
-7 R Davies WAL (18)
-7 I Garrido ESP (18)
-6 T Jaidee THI (18)
-6 D-H Kim KOR (18)
-5 A Canizares ESP (18)
-5 KJ Choi KOR (18)
-5 M Foster ENG (18)
-5 M Haastrup DEN (18)
-4 K Aphibarnrat THI (18)
-4 R Bain SCO (18)
-4 S Barr AUS (18)
-4 T Bjorn ENG (18)
-4 N Colsaerts BEL (18)
-4 R Gangjee IND (18)
-4 R Rock ENG (18)
SELECTED OTHERS:
-3 P Lawrie IRE (18)
+1 D Clarke NIR (18)
+6 G Murphy IRE (17)