Jordan Smith sat at the top of a congested leaderboard early on day one as the final European Tour event of 2016 got under way at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The Hong Kong Open is the longest running sporting event in Hong Kong and is making its 16th appearance on the European Tour with an elite field assembled at Hong Kong Golf Club.
Among that field is 2016 Challenge Tour Number One Smith and he made four birdies in his first seven holes to open up a one-shot lead.
The Englishman had the honour of hitting the first tee-shot of the 2017 season at last week's Australian PGA Championship and looked to be on course for a second consecutive memorable Thursday with birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and seventh.
That gave him the lead ahead of Spanish duo Rafa Cabrera Bello and Jorge Campillo, Australian pair Sam Brazel and Jason Scrivener, and American Paul Peterson.
Brazel had five birdies and two bogeys in his first 12 holes, while D+D REAL Czech Masters champion Peterson had a single blemish in his first 11.
Ryder Cup star Cabrera Bello made three birdies in four holes from the 16th after starting on the 11th, while Scrivener birdied the first, second and fifth in his first eight.
Campillo, meanwhile, had three birdies in six holes from the 11th.
Ian Poulter - the 2010 champion - was then at two under after nine holes alongside fellow Englishman Steve Lewton, American David Lipsky, Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond and Australia's Andrew Dodt, who finished second last week on the Gold Coast.
Spaniard Nacho Elvira, England's Tommy Fleetwood, Frenchman Julien Quesne and Scotland's Duncan Stewart were the other players under par in the early stages.
