Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance needs something spectacular to qualify for next month's British Open championship - and he went the right way about it in the £650,000 Compaq European Grand Prix yesterday.
The 46-year-old fired his third hole-in-one on the European Tour in his 630th event to take the first round lead at Slaley Hall.
The Scot also equalled the tour record for the fewest putts in a round - just eight swishes of his broom-handled club needed in a back nine of 30, and 20 in total - to card an opening 66, six under par.
That was enough for a one-shot lead over Spain's Francisco Cea with potential Ryder Cup team-members Lee Westwood and Andrew Coltart a shot further back on four under.
Darren Clarke led the Irish challenge a shot further back on 69, while rookie Gary Murphy had a level par 72 and Philip Walton, seeking to regain his Tour card, had to be content with a 75.
Torrance had been planning a reduced schedule this season due to his Ryder Cup commitments but is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to qualify for the Open championship at St Andrews.
He was forced to withdraw with a bad back at Carnoustie last year - the first time he had missed out in 28 years, a remarkable run stretching back to his debut in 1972 - and admitted: "I'm desperate to play. I'm not exempt but there is a way in via a mini order of merit from the next few events and I think I'll need to win one of the next four."
He feels that is a realistic goal after demonstrating his good form with a 64 at Sunningdale on Monday to win a pro-am. "That's been coming for a while," he added. "I played well in Wales from tee to green but my chipping was poor but I've done a lot of work on it."
There were plenty of fireworks coming from the other members of Torrance's group as well, Kent's Peter Mitchell holing his 220-yard second shot with a four iron on the 11th for an albatross and Australian Lucas Parsons inches away from winning a car for a hole-in-one on the 17th.
Elsewhere, Westwood and stablemate Clarke were both delighted with their opening efforts as they struggled with the debilitating effects of jet-lag after returning from the US Open on Monday.
"I don't normally suffer badly with jet-lag but I was up at 4a.m. on Tuesday morning and spent an interesting four hours before the rest of the world got up!" said Westwood who finished tied fifth at Pebble Beach.
"When I teed off at 8:35 a.m. I was still on midnight US time. I feel a bit lethargic in myself but should feel better tomorrow afternoon because I'll be teeing off when I should be getting up."
Clarke was equally weary after his transatlantic trip and was delighted with his 69 that included an escape from "the worst lie I've ever had".
The Ulsterman's drive on the fourth found a terrible lie deep in the rough and he could only move it four yards with a sand wedge. Still in the rough, his eight-iron third came up 35 feet short but he promptly rolled in the putt, shaking his head in disbelief at a remarkable birdie.
"Three under was very good considering what I thought I'd get when I started," Clarke said. "I'm very tired physically and mentally exhausted and the previous two nights I've only had four hours sleep per night."
Open champion Paul Lawrie was tired for a different reason after his opening round, his first competitive outing for almost a month.
The Scot, who has been struggling with a groin injury, could only manage a five-over-par 77 but was pleased to feel no pain from the injury as he warms up for the defence of his title at St Andrews next month.
"I didn't come here with high expectations and I know it will take a while but at least there is no pain," Lawrie said.
Former amateur star Adam Scott made a creditable start to his professional career with a level-par 72 while 17-year-old Zane Scotland, still in the unpaid ranks, carded a 75.
