Hennie du Plessis and Garrick Higgo shot respective rounds of 65 and 66 to start their week at the Qatar Masters on the front foot on Thursday.
Du Plessis delivered a composed opening round at the Education City Golf Club, going six under for the day in a bogey-free display.
Two birdies on the front nine and four after the turn had the 25-year-old signing off in T2 at day’s end, one shot behind the early leader, David Law.
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The Scotsman carded an opening-round seven-under-par 65 to get the ball rolling in Doha in a round that also yielded zero bogeys.
Young Garrick Higgo also made a flying start on Thursday and was one of the early players applying the pressure.
Higgo settled on five under par in T6 alongside Joachim B Hansen, Thomas Detry, Joakim Lagergren. George Coetzee shot a four-under-par 67 to open his account and held the early lead before three consecutive bogeys on his final three holes halted some of the good progress he made.
Darren Fichardt and Louis de Jager finished the day a further stroke back on three under, Brandon Stone, Shaun Norris and Wilco Nienaber on two under and Justin Hardin on one under.
Justin Walters and Zander Lombard went two over for their opening round, Haydn Porteous and Dean Burmester three over with Ruan Jordaan, who is competing as an amateur, shooting five over.
