Vienna - Felipe Aguilar hit top form at the Austrian Open on Thursday with a seven-under-par 65 giving the Chilean a two-shot lead after day one.
The world number 399's best effort since the Joburg Open in January 2016 took him clear of the chasing pack at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg outside Vienna.
South Africa's Jaco van Zyl, Sweden's Johan Carlsson and England's Ashley Chesters are in joint second with two other Englishmen, Graeme Storm and Oliver Wilson, a further shot behind in a tie for fifth with France's Joel Stalter.
"The way I started playing golf today is always a good sign," Aguilar told europeantour.com.
"But it's a long tournament, there are some really good players this week and the course is in great condition so you've got to keep the good work up."
The 42-year-old has not won a tournament since 2014, but laid the groundwork for his early lead by racing to five under on the front nine.
Van Zyl, still searching for his maiden European Tour victory after five runners-up finishes, carded two birdies on the front nine and three after the turn.
Home favourite and 2012 champion Bernd Wiesberger suffered from a loss of focus having taken a share of the early lead.
A run of five birdies in six holes from the 15th, having started on the back nine, was ruined by a lost ball off the tee at the fourth and a double-bogey on the eighth after a poor greenside bunker shot saw the Austrian, one of only two players in the world's top 100 in the field, finish two under.
Leading first round scores in the EPGA Austrian Open at Atzenbrugg, Vienna on Thursday:
65 - Felipe Aguilar (CHI)
67 - Ashley Chesters (ENG), Jaco van Zyl (RSA), Johan Carlsson (SWE)
68 - Joel Stalter (FRA), Oliver Wilson (ENG), Graeme Storm (ENG)
69 - Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Sepp Straka (AUT), Maximilian Kieffer (GER), Alexander Bjork (SWE), Paul Waring (ENG), Matthew Baldwin (ENG), Julien Guerrier (FRA), Oliver Fisher (ENG), Simon Khan (ENG), Ricardo Gonzalez (ARG), Jbe Kruger (RSA), Ryan McCarthy (AUS), Trevor Fisher jnr (RSA)
70 - Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN), Ashun Wu (CHN), Zander Lombard (RSA), Carlos Pigem (ESP), Laurie Canter (ENG), Sebastien Gros (FRA), Mike Weir (CAN), Simon Forsstrom (SWE), Lorenzo Gagli (ITA), Dylan Frittelli (RSA), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT), Nino Bertasio (ITA), Y.E. Yang (KOR)