Graeme McDowell and Seamus Power are five shots off the lead after the opening round at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.
McDowell, who had announced his decision to miss this week's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to defend his 2019 Puntacana Resort & Club Championship title at the tournament in the Dominican Republic, carded a two under par 70 which leaves him in a tie for 46th alongside Waterford's Power and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.
There is a four way tie for the lead on seven under, shared by Austria's Sepp Straka and the US trio of Scott Harrington, Hudson Swafford and Tyler McCumber.
They are a shot further clear of China's Xinjun Zhang and US' Joseph Bramlett.
