Swede Fredrik Jacobson left Lee Westwood trailing an amazing 17 strokes behind with a record-breaking start to the Algarve Portuguese Open today.
And nobody was more amazed than Jacobson himself by an eight-under 64 which knocked two strokes off the Vale do Lobo record.
"I didn't expect that - I probably lost five balls in practice yesterday," said the 28-year-old, playing his first round after a 10-week lay-off resting a left wrist injury that still has not fully cleared up.
Only four of the 156-strong field broke 70 on the demanding lay-out. England's Greg Owen was delighted with his 66 to be three clear of third-placed pair Bradley Dredge and Carlos Rodiles, but even that left him two behind.
Westwood, meanwhile, slumped to an 81 that included a quadruple bogey eight on the 470-yard first, his 10th of the day.
Not even the absence of the entire world's top 60 was enough for the Ryder Cup star to resurrect his career.
Europe's number one just three seasons ago and world number four the following year, Westwood has fallen to 237th in the game and has to go back 20 months even for his last top 10 finish.
Westwood, now coached by David Leadbetter, was upbeat on the eve of the event, but after the latest setback said: "There was not really any bad luck to speak of. If I hadn't had any luck I wouldn't have broken 90.
Jacobson, who recorded his first European tour victory in Hong Kong in December after six runners-up finishes, had five birdies in six holes on the front nine and then had three more in the last four.
"Normally I don't do well at first after some time off and am a slow starter," he said. "I was actually a bit all over the place off the tee, but the rest of my game was good."
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is well placed in a tie for fifth on two-under and leads the home challenge. With just eight pars, last year's Scandinavian Masters champion had a mixed bag of scores ranging from an eagle to a double bogey on his card.
Philip Walton is next of the Irish on one-under while Peter Lawrie (74), Stephen Browne (75), Gary Murphy and Ronan Rafferty (76) all failed to break par.
PA