Graeme Storm shot to the front of the pack at the KLM Open on Thursday, grabbing a two-shot lead after the first round.
The Englishman carded a bogey-free, seven-birdie 63 at Hilversum to lead Italian Fabrizio Zanotti, France's Raphael Jacquelin and German Ryder Cup team member Martin Kaymer by two strokes.
Another European Ryder Cup star, Swede Peter Hanson, lies a further shot back on four under par alongside five others, while the other Ryder Cup man in the field, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, opened with a level-par 70.
Storm was tied with the second-placed trio on five under with three holes to play, but birdied two of them to claim the outright lead.
The Hartlepool native admits to having been through a trying time of late. He faces a battle to retain his Tour card, currently lying 114th on the Race to Dubai, and was shaken by the loss of his grandfather during June's BMW International Open.
"I've had a tough run and it's all been a bit of a struggle. I've just not been enjoying it," Storm said.
"I lost my grandfather on the Wednesday morning of Germany and since then I have really struggled. I kind of kept it to myself what happened but it hit me really hard.
"You can get punished round here but I played the best I have probably played all year. I'm just happy to get a round like that under my belt after recent months."
Kaymer's 65, meanwhile, featured a superb eagle at the 12th, while Hanson's round contained five birdies and a solitary bogey at the sixth.
After three birdies prior to the turn, Kaymer had an eventful back nine, birdying two, bogeying two and then making the eagle at 12.
"Two years ago when I won here was very nice but that was a period of time I could have played golf with my eyes closed," the German said.
"Now is a different time when I need to work and it takes a lot of energy and a lot of concentration. I really need to focus on the things on the range. Two years ago it was more automatic."
European captain Jose Maria Olazabal is also in the Netherlands this week, and is paired with Kaymer and Colsaerts for the first two rounds. He opened with an eventful one-over-par 71, the highlight of which was a chip-in from the bunker for one of his five birdies.
Paul Casey, who has missed his last seven cuts in a horror run, finally managed to get something going. He's four back after an opening three-under-par 67.
golf365.com