Sebastian Soderberg fired a stunning ten under par 61 to open up a two-shot lead and set the clubhouse target on day one of The Rocco Forte Open - Verdura, Sicily.
The Swede has a win on the Challenge Tour at last season's Barclays Kenya Open and made a brilliant start as he searches for a first European Tour win in just his 15th event at Verdura Golf Club.
The composite layout in Agrigento allowed for some low scoring and Alvaro Quiros emerged as Soderberg's nearest challenger with the help of a hole-in-one on the 13th.
The six-time European Tour winner has slipped to 703rd in the Official World Golf Ranking but after finishing with a 65 in the final round of the Open de Portugal at Morgado Golf Resort last week, his form looks to be returning.
England's Lee Slattery, Portuguese José-Filipe Lima and China's Li Haotong were then at seven under, a shot clear of Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and Frenchman Julien Guerrier.
Soderberg made birdies on the second, fourth, sixth and eighth before an eagle on the ninth helped him turn in 30.
A birdie-birdie start on the back nine then moved him clear of the field as mutters of a historic 59 began to circulate round the course.
A run of five pars put paid to those hopes but the 26 year old then rolled a birdie down the hill at the 17th before an eight-footer on the last moved him to double figures.
Quiros' ace - the 16th of the season - came on just his third hole of the day courtesy of a 191-yard seven iron on the 13th.
The Spaniard bogeyed the next but added gains on the 15th, 17th, first and second before three closing birdies handed him a 63.
Slattery was out in the very first group of the day and after going birdie-bogey on the third and fourth, he rattled off a hat-trick of gains from the seventh and added further birdies on the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th.
Lima endured a rollercoaster, turning in 34 with four birdies and two bogeys before picking up shots on the tenth, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th.
Li started on the 11th and after picking up a shot on the 15th came to life from the first, with some dialled-in iron play bringing more birdies on the first, second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth.
Dane Bjørn was bogey-free in his 65 while Guerrier recorded seven birdies and a single dropped shot.
French duo Clément Berardo and Matthieu Pavon, Englishmen Chris Paisley and Paul Maddy, American Daniel Im, Thai, Phchara Khongwatmai and Welshman Stuart Manley were then all at five under.
