Nicolai Højgaard produced a back-nine birdie blitz to join French duo Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon at the top of the leaderboard after day one of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Ryder Cup star was one over after six holes and level par as he made the turn at Jumeirah Golf Estates but reeled off five birdies in six holes to sign for a 67 and get to five under.
Earlier, Earth Course debutant Guerrier was bogey-free in making the same score at the fifth Rolex Series of the event of the season before in-form countryman Pavon finished birdie-birdie to join him with a blemish-free effort of his own.
Another Frenchman, Antoine Rozner, was a shot off the lead alongside Swede Jens Dantorp and Pole Adrian Meronk, one clear of Højgaard's Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre and South Korea's Tom Kim.
Rory McIlroy has already wrapped up the Race to Dubai title and he was at one under, a shot clear of playing partner and defending champion Jon Rahm.
After reviewing the latest weather forecast for Friday, it has been decided that Round 2 of the DP World Tour Championship will be a two-tee start, U draw, from 11:00 to 12:48.
Meanwhile, Round 1 of the G4D Tour Season Finale will be nine holes from 10:15, teeing off from the 10th.
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