Matthias Schwab carded a bogey free 63 to set the clubhouse target ahead of a stellar field on day one of the Omega European Masters.
World Number Two Rory McIlroy was among a host of stars to make their way to the stunning Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club but he found himself four shots behind Austrian Schwab, who was at seven under.
Finn Mikko Korhonen and Swede Sebastian Soderberg were a shot off the lead, one clear of Wales' Jamie Donaldson and Scot David Drysdale.
Schwab has achieved nine top tens since coming through the Qualifying School in 2017, and had the best result of his European Tour career so far when he finished in a tie for third at the BMW International Open in June.
Korhonen set the very early pace with four birdies in a row from the 12th but he double bogeyed the 16th before holing his second at the par four next.
Another gain on the third had him at five under but two bogeys followed and it was Schwab who moved into the ascendancy.
The 24-year-old birdied the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth, and a lovely delicate chip helped set up a birdie on the par five ninth as he turned in 30.
Another gain on the 13th moved him two ahead but Korhonen holed a long chip at the driveable par four seventh for a second eagle of the day and the lead was down to one.
A two putt birdie on the par five 15th edged Schwab two ahead again but Korhonen hit a stunning third into the par five ninth to cut the gap again.
Soderberg - fresh off the back of a top five on home soil - made steady progress with gains on the second, seventh, ninth and tenth, and two more on the par five 14th and 15th to get within one.
A tricky lie on the 17th led to a dropped shot but he picked it straight back up on the last.
Donaldson recovered from a double bogey on the 12th with birdies on the 14th, 15th, 17th, second, third, fifth and seventh, while Drysdale also had an early blemish on the first but hit back on the sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth, 14th and 17th.
Welshman Bradley Dredge - the 2006 champion - Italy's Nino Bertasio, South African Darren Fichardt, Finn Kalle Samooja and South Korean Jeunghun Wang all made six birdies and two bogeys in rounds of 66.
McIlroy holed a long putt to birdie the tenth but gave the shot straight back before taking advantage of the par five 14th and 15th and holing from 15 feet at the 18th.
The four time Major Championship winner three putted the fifth but made the most of the driveable sixth and seventh before failing to get up and down from the sand on the eighth.
That left him in an 11 man group at three under that also contained former champions Luke Donald, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Lee Westwood, and fellow Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters.
