Kiradech Aphibarnrat was the big mover as the second round of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai got under way at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The Thai already has two victories so far this season at the Shenzhen International and the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play to sit at 11th in The Race to Dubai.
And while he may not be able to be crowned Europe's Number One this week, he could become just the second player to complete a hat-trick of 2015 titles alongside co-leader Andy Sullivan.
Sullivan, Marcus Fraser, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter shared the overnight lead at six under and Aphibarnrat began the day seven shots back, a gap that would become eight when he bogeyed the first.
But the 26 year old then birdied the second and third to get back to level par and when four gains in a row followed from the fifth, he was just two shots off the lead.
A shot was dropped on the ninth but Aphibarnrat got it back on the tenth and he was four under through his first 12 holes.
Bernd Wiesberger was also four under at the turn after picking up shots on the second, third, sixth and seventh while Alex Noren joined that group with birdies on his first three holes.
Victor Dubuisson, Patrick Reed and Anthony Wall had made early gains to get into the group at three under while a shot further back, three Race to Dubai contenders were looking for a big performance on Friday.
Byeong-hun An, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose are three of seven players who could take the main prize this week with Race leader Rory McIlroy and closest rival Danny Willett in pole position at four under alongside Branden Grace.
Oosthuizen was making a move at three under for the day through 12 holes while Rose was one under after seven and An at level par in the very early stages of his round.
Shane Lowry was level par for the day through 13 to sit at three over, one shot behind two-time defending champion Henrik Stenson who was having a remarkable day.
The Swede dropped four shots in his first five holes to drop to nine over but then birdied the seventh, eighth, tenth, 11th, 12th, 13th and 17th to move off the bottom of the leaderboard.
