Alejandro Del Rey and Freddy Schott share a one-shot lead after opening rounds of 65 while Padraig Harrington lies six strokes back at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Spaniard Del Rey was flawless as he carded seven birdies to set the clubhouse target at seven under.
It looked as though that would be too much for the rest of the field, but Germany's Schott completed his roller-coaster round with a birdie-eagle finish to join him at the summit.
Defending champion Laurie Canter leads a group of five at six under on a logjammed leaderboard where 28 players sit within four of the leading pair.
Harrington, the sole Irish player in the field, was inside the top-20 after 14 holes, having registered four birdies with just one dropped stroke to lie at three-under par.
However, late bogeys on the 15th and 18th holes saw him slip back to one-under par for the competition, in tied-58th alongside 23 other players.
Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner Patrick Reed, who announced his intention to leave the LIV Tour yesterday, is among that bulging cohort at one-under after an opening 71.
