Four players shared the lead at the Indonesia President Invitational golf tournament at the Damai Indah Golf Course, Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), Tangerang, on Thursday.
Thai star Thaworn Wiratchant, Finland's Pasi Purhonen and Australian duo Marcus Both and Darren Beck all fired 6-under-par 66 on the opening day of the third edition of the US$400,000 Asian Tour event.
Thursday provided a thriller, with Korea's Lee Sung, Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot and Australia's Adam Blyth lying a further one stroke back on 67, according to a release from the Asian Tour.
Singapore's Quincy Quek, playing his first Asian Tour event as a professional, sank a brilliant set of seven straight birdies en route to a 68 to lie just two off a crowded leaderboard.
Indonesia's top performer was leading amateur Benny Kasiadi, who turned in a bogey-free 70, a score matched by defending champion Scott Hend of Australia.
The evergreen Thaworn, Asia's number one in 2005, sank three closing birdies from close range to extend his recent revival in form that has seen him win three smaller tournaments across the region.
"During the first six months of the year, I was doing everything the same as before, but nothing happened for me," said the 10-time Asian Tour winner, who failed to register a single top-10 finish in the first half of the season.
"But recently, the putts started to roll in and things began to happen again. I've prepared well for the second half of our season and it's nice to have a good start.
"I'm happy, but anything can still happen," added the 42-year-old.
Beck overcame a double bogey on the ninth with eight birdies for his strong start.
"It was a good round, despite the double bogey where I missed an easy tap in," he said.
"Hopefully I can continue to play well and challenge for my first Asian Tour win."
Purhonen, 33, just back from a four-year sabbatical during which he served as Finland's national amateur team coach, posted six birdies against one bogey to grab the early limelight.
He missed his Asian Tour card by one stroke during qualifying at the start of the year, but hopes to make full use of his second tournament in the region.
"I made a couple of good putts early on to keep it going, and then the game eventually got a little better," he said.
"I putted well the whole day and I hit a lot of fairways. I was really solid. Most of the putts were from inside 8 or 9 feet."
Both was the last man to join the leaderboard, thanks to a snaky 25-foot birdie putt at the ninth.
He credited his start to the hard work put in by coach Adam Fraser, a former Asian Tour regular.
"After a couple of months off, you're never quite sure how you're going to come back," he said.
"Six-under on this golf course under these conditions, I'll take that for sure."
