Race to Dubai contender Eugenio Chacarra battled through the pain barrier with a fractured toe to hold a share of the lead after day one of the Open de España presented by Madrid.
One of 20 Spaniards in the field this week, the three-time DP World Tour sustained an injury while making a midnight trip for a glass of water while in the United States last week but was determined to tee it up in his national open on Thursday.
Twice a winner already this season, claiming victories at national opens in the Netherlands and Italy over back-to-back starts in the summer, he carded a five-under-par 66 that contained two eagles as he was later joined at the summit of the leaderboard by Scottish duo Connor Syme and Grant Forrest.
Daniel Hillier, who made his first DP World Tour hole-in-one at the 17th to win a BMW iX5, is in a four-strong group one shot further back alongside Spanish pair Angel Ayora and Sergio Garcia and Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen.
A win this week, coupled with a missed cut by Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World leader Patrick Reed, could see Chacarra take the ascendancy in the pursuit of the Harry Vardon Trophy, with Rory McIlroy sandwiched in between the pair and due to return to action at next week’s DP World India Championship.
However, with two events of the regular season still left before the DP World Tour Play-Offs next month in the United Arab Emirates, the 26-year-old is weighing up the risk of potentially doing further damage ahead of what promises to be an exciting run-in to the DP World Tour season.
"It's been tough," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but obviously I need to take care of myself.
"Obviously, I had a good round, but just how I feel physically, it's not great. I don’t know, it’s just hard. It’s a struggle.
"It doesn’t really hurt when I’m swinging. That’s the only good thing. It’s why I can still make a score, but it’s just been really tough to walk.
"I made it through today but the pain I had [over] the last holes walking is something that I don’t know if it’s worth it because I’ve got a lot to play for in the next couple of weeks.
"So, I’ll just sit down with the team and see what we decide because it was tough."
Starting on the tenth, Chacarra bogeyed the 12th but he got into the red with an eagle at the 15th, before a birdie at the ninth saw him get to two under for his front nine.
Birdies at the second and fourth quickly had him at four under, but he gave them back immediately with back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth.
A sensational approach to within four feet set up an eagle at the par-five seventh and he closed out his round with a birdie at the par-three ninth to set the clubhouse target.
After months of hot weather in the Spanish capital, the course at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid has received 50mm of rain over the last week.
With preferred lies in play, there was an expectation of low scoring but it was far from easy as the wind picked up as the day progressed.
Syme has struggled for form this season after a breakthrough campaign last year saw him become a DP World Tour winner for the first time.
While he came into the week 147th in the season-long standings he is playing stress-free as he is assured his full playing rights next year through his winner's category.
After a late arrival as his wife, Alanis, is expecting their first child soon, the 31-year-old matched the best score from the afternoon wave.
Most of his work was done on his front front nine as he made five birdies from the tenth, before staying bogey-free with a chip-in par at the first.
A two-putt birdie at the par-five fourth briefly put him into the solo lead at six under, but he dropped his only shot of the day at his penultimate hole.
But there were only positive reflections as he looks to build on a strong showing on home soil at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
"Very happy, played really well, so it was nice to have a really solid start on an amazing and a great golf course," he said.
“This is obviously very different because last week would be similar to what I am playing a lot of the time.
“I had a tenth-place finish going back maybe five or six weeks and played quite well but I felt like I played a lot better last week. It’s been a funny year, a lot of change [and] I struggled with injury.
"But I definitely feel I turned a bit of a corner last week and it was much better and nice to carry that on into this week.”
His fellow countryman Forrest has either missed the cut or retired through injury at each of his last five starts on the DP World Tour.
But a return to a venue where he has two top-five finishes over the last five years proved a welcome boost as he also impressed late in the day.
After a bogey at the 13th, the two-time DP World Tour winner made three birdies in a four-hole stretch thereafter to get to two under as he moved onto his back nine.
After cancelling out a birdie at the first with a bogey at the third, he made birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh and could have taken the outright lead into day two but missed from nine feet for birdie on his final hole.
"It's a different Club de Campo to what we're used to, you know, playing so soft, but quite breezy this afternoon, and some tough holes.
"I drove the ball really well, which made life a lot easier, and then just scored nicely, and, you know, I felt like a round like this had been coming over the past few weeks.
"Managed to make a few putts, and yeah, I’m delighted for the day's work."
Hillier mixed five birdies with three bogeys in addition to his ace in his 67, Ayora was five under on the par fives alone, Garcia delighted the home crowds too, while Skov Olesen was bogey-free.
Joe Dean and Mikael Lindberg, both winners this season, are among seven players a shot further back at three under.
