Sergio Garcia moved into a share of the early lead as the BMW Masters got under way in Shanghai.
The Spaniard was five under through 11 holes but he had company at the top of the leaderboard with David Howell and Thongchai Jaidee also off to quick starts.
The third event of The Final Series presented another chance for players to make their move in The Race to Dubai with leader Rory McIlroy absent and scoring was low on a rainy day at Lake Malaren Golf Club.
Paul Casey birdied the tenth and 11th but leaped out into the lead at the 14th as he holed his second shot from 149 yards for a spectacular eagle.
Garcia was soon to join him, though, as he got off to a flying start with birdies at the tenth, 12th, 13th and 14th and he had the lead on his own when Casey dropped a shot on the 18th to turn in 33.
Eddie Pepperell also turned in 33 as birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th got him to three under but his run was bettered by Howell who made a run of four birdies from the 12th.
The Englishman was then inches from a hole in one at the 17th as he picked up another shot to get to five under and a par on the 18th saw him turn in 31.
Jaidee was alongside him as he went birdie-eagle-birdie from the 12th and then picked up another shot on the 16th.
Garcia had bogeyed the 17th but back-to-back birdies on the first and second shot him into a share of the lead on a congested early leaderboard.
Casey got back to four under with a birdie on the third and he was alongside Pepperell, Scott Hend, Victor Dubuisson, Ross Fisher and Jaco van Zyl.
Danny Willett was two under through six holes as he looks to chase down McIlroy as were fellow Race to Dubai contenders Branden Grace and Justin Rose.
