Sweden's Marten Olander today equalled the European Tour record for consecutive birdies in the first round of the Novotel Perrier French Open.
Olander carded eight birdies in a row, and nine in 10 holes, to card a five-under-par 67 at Le Golf National and move into the early lead.
The 30-year-old has a two-shot cushion over the field with defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal among those on three under after an opening 69.
The only record Olander had appeared in danger of breaking was that for consecutive double-bogeys when, after starting at the 10th, he carded a five on the par three 11th and six on the par four 12th to be four over par after three holes.
But after slowly warming up on a bitterly cold morning on the outskirts of Paris, the Challenge Tour graduate birdied the 14th before embarking on his record-equalling run.
Olander has never finished higher than 135th on the Order of Merit in four attempts but earned his card for this season from the challenge tour, where he won the Hardelot Challenge de France with 18 birdies in 36 holes in his second and third rounds.