Denmark's Anders Hansen battled against a strong wind and a stiff neck to take an early one-shot lead in the KLM Open with a six-under-par 65 at the Kennemer course.
Christian Cevaer later matched the 65. Markus Brier and Robert Rock hold third place on 66.
Pre-tournament favourite Colin Montgomerie could only manage a 70 despite being three-under-par after eight holes, while the battle for Ryder Cup places never caught fire.
Ireland's Paul McGinley, who currently occupies the final automatic qualifying place, birdied two of the last three holes for a one-over 72, one shot better than nearest rival Paul Broadhurst who is 11th in the standings.
Without the advantage of a practice round, Hansen, the 2002 European PGA champion, relied on a new set of clubs and a hot putter to share the lead.
Hansen included three 20ft birdie putts and a 10-footer for eagle on his card.
Cevaer, the 2004 Canaries Open winner, is fighting to keep his tour card with his exemption running out at the end of the season.
