Matteo Manassero set the clubhouse target as DLF Golf and Country Club proved a fiendishly tough test on day one of the Hero Indian Open.
The Gary Player designed course was hosting a men's international tournament for the first time and just eight players from the morning wave were able to get under par, with Manassero leading the way with a 68.
That four under par total left him one shot clear of Eddie Pepperell and two ahead of Danny Chia, Paul Peterson, Angelo Que, Steven Tiley and Sam Walker.
The Italian has been slowly re-finding his form of late after a run of 15 missed cuts over the 2015 and 2016 seasons and his third-place finish at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open was his first top ten since the same event two years previously.
He has made three cuts from four so far this term, though, and showed more reasons for encouragement in New Delhi.
The four-time winner started with a double-bogey and after picking up a shot on the 13th gave it back on the next but he really caught fire from the 17th. He picked up five shots in six holes with help from an approach to four feet at the second, a tee-shot that spun back to six feet on the third and a four-footer on the fourth.
Manassero then left himself eight feet after laying up on the eighth and made no mistake to lead the way.
Pepperell is searching for redemption of his own after losing his card last season and having to come through the Qualifying School in November.
He made the turn in 34 and added another gain on the 11th but back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and 15th stalled his progress before a birdie-birdie finish.
Zimbabwean Scott Vincent was also three under after four holes of his round.
Peterson had set the early pace before two bogeys on the way back stalled his momentum. The D+D REAL Czech Masters champion picked up shots on the 13th, 17th and first before making bogeys on the fourth and sixth. A bounceback gain on the ninth then left him just two off the lead.
English duo Tiley and Walker, who gained their cards via the Qualifying School and Challenge Tour respectively, both also signed for rounds of 70 with contrasting finishes.
Tiley turned in 34 and added a birdie on the 11th before bogeying the last, while Walker birdied three of his last four holes to leap up the leaderboard after a bogey-bogey start.
Filipino Que turned in 35 after starting on the tenth but then had just two pars on the front nine, registering four birdies and three bogeys.
Malaysia's Chia held the outright lead after turning in 33 and birdieing the second but he went bogey-double-bogey from the fourth before making a gain on the seventh.
Englishmen David Horsey and Anthony Wall, and local favourite Chiragh Kumar were all at two under in the early stages of their rounds.
Australia's Terry Pilkadaris was the only other man to go under par in the morning, signing for a 71 containing five birdies, two bogeys and a double.
Paul Dunne, amateur Rigel Fernandes, Rahil Gangjee, Ricardo Gonzalez, Gavin Green, Nathan Kimsey, Prom Meesawat and Shubhankar Sharma were then all in the clubhouse at level par.
(Courtesy: European Tour)
