Dimitrios Papadatos fired an excellent 67 at the new-look Leopard Creek Country Club to set the clubhouse target on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The event was not on the European Tour International Schedule last season as the course underwent a host of changes, with grasses and tee positions among some of the alterations.
The Kruger National Park continued to provide a stunning backdrop for one of the highlights of the year and in perfect conditions it was tournament invite Papadatos who moved to five under and into a one-shot lead.
The Australian entered the Challenge Tour's season ending Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final with a chance of finishing the campaign in the all-important top 15 but damaged a club and then played with it, leading to a disqualification.
He had another chance to earn his playing privileges at the Australian PGA Championship via the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit but again missed out and is now looking for an all important victory to secure a place on Tour.
The 27 year old was bogey-free in his opening round at the final event of 2018 to sit ahead of Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin.
Defending champion Brandon Stone, 2008 Order of Merit winner Robert Karlsson, Scottish duo David Drysdale and Liam Johnston and Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal were at three under.
Leopard Creek is much changed since Stone's victory two years ago but he still looked right at home, birdieing the tenth, 13th and 14th to jump out into the lead at three under.
Papadatos joined him with birdies on the first, third and ninth and when he made another gain on the 11th, he led on his own.
Swede Karlsson made birdies on the 11th, 17th and 18th with a dropped shot on the 14th to turn in 35 but an eagle on the par-five second catapulted him into a share of the lead.
He then dropped a shot on the next and when Papadatos birdied the par-three 16th, the lead was two shots.
Karlsson made another bogey on the fourth but almost holed out from the fairway on the ninth for a closing birdie.
Stone cut the lead to one with a tap-in birdie on the sixth but gave the shot straight back on the seventh.
Jacquelin turned in level par with birdies on the second and sixth and bogeys on the fourth and fifth but came to life on the back nine. The four-time European Tour winner birdied the tenth, 13th and 15th before getting on the par-five last in two for a closing gain.
Drysdale had made a positive start to the season before suffering an arm injury last week in Johannesburg but looked fully recovered in making five birdies and two bogeys.
Countryman Johnston turned in level par with three birdies and three bogeys but rattled off a hat-trick of gains from the 13th before finishing bogey-birdie.
Larrazábal made birdies on the 13th, 16th, sixth and eighth to go with a dropped shot on the 17th in his 69.
Local favourites Erik van Rooyen and Ockie Strydom, Spaniard Adri Arnaus and Scot Robert MacIntyre were three shots off the lead.
