Rory McIlroy found the water on the final hole to finish five shots off the pace after day one of the BMW PGA Championship at a rain-hit Wentworth.
The world number two arrived in Surrey fresh from winning his home open with a thrilling play-off victory over Joakim Lagergren at the K Club on Sunday.
And McIlroy started where he left off after he chipped in for an ominous birdie on the first hole at a tournament he won in 2014 before recording three runner-up finishes in his last five visits.
A second birdie followed for the Northern Irishman at the par-five fourth only to bogey the following par three.
But birdies on the 10th, 12th and 16th appeared to put him in a strong position for the remainder of the weekend as he stepped up his preparations for the Ryder Cup later this month.
However, McIlroy hit his approach at the concluding par-five 18th into the water and had to settle for a bogey and a three-under-par 69 as he completed his first round at 7:30pm and in near darkness after a rain delay – which lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half in the middle of the afternoon – disrupted the day’s play.
Ten groups will have to complete their opening rounds on Friday morning.
Swede Ludvig Aberg – a captain’s pick for Europe’s showdown with the United States in New York – and Frenchman Tom Vaillant share the overnight lead after they both shot eight-under-par 64s.
Aberg started his day with a bogey at the first hole, but then did not drop a shot, making four birdies on the front nine before ending his round with a hat-trick of birdies.
Vaillant dropped two shots at the fifth and ninth holes, but then struck six birdies in his concluding seven to see him tied at the top with Aberg.
South Africa’s Casey Jarvis is on his own in third place following a seven-under 65.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, another of Europe captain Luke Donald’s six selections, is just two back after he carded a six-under 66 – despite a bogey at the last – while Justin Rose is a shot further adrift following a bogey-free 67.
Shane Lowry carded five birdies in his final seven holes to join Rose in the clubhouse on five-under par.
Former world number one Jon Rahm, who played with McIlroy and Lowry, was among 11 of Europe’s 12 players in action on Thursday.
The Spaniard was largely out of sorts, but holed out from the greenside bunker at 15 and then hit two birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to end on one-under par, while his European team-mate Tommy Fleetwood finished on one-over par.
