Daan Huizing, the 2013 winner of the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank, was in familiar territory after a six under par round of 65 earned him a share the first round lead with four other players at Galgorm Castle.
Morning starters John Hahn, Haydn Porteous and Niall Turner had already set the clubhouse target before Huizing and Emilio Cuartero Blanco matched them in the afternoon, with conditions perfect for scoring all day.
Dutchman Huizing did not drop a shot during the whole round as he returned to the scene of his maiden European Challenge Tour win, closing with three birdies in his final four holes to move to the summit.
“I’m very pleased,” said the 24 year old. “My game felt nice straight out of the blocks, I was just hitting really great shots. I made a birdie at three which is such a tough hole so that was a bonus, then made another at four.
“There were a couple of missed opportunities but then a really nice finish with a birdie on 15, a long putt on 16 and then just a good hole on 18 for a birdie.
“To switch up a gear and finish with three birdies in four holes is good and gives me a bit of momentum tomorrow, and I’m in the lead, which is a familiar position here for me, but there’s a lot of golf left.
“This is a very pleasant atmosphere, all the people are very kind, and it’s a really good course. Off the tee it’s very demanding, the greens are really good, and it makes me focus a bit better to really hit good shots. I’ve got a good feel on the greens here as well, which helps.”
South African co-leader Porteous was part of a remarkable group with Sebastien Gros and Simon Thornton, who both shot rounds of 66 to leave the group with an aggregate score of 16 under par on the opening day.
The 21 year old is currently 12th in the Road to Oman Rankings, aided by his victory in the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open, and showed signs of a return to form with a top five finish at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge last month.
“I’m delighted with a 65, it’s always a great number to shoot,” he said. “I played very well from tee to green and made a few putts – I’ve been working hard on the mental side of my putting, I’ve been through a nervy spell, so I’m working hard and reading books and just trying to stay positive about it.
“Today was the first sign of progress so let’s hope this weekend it can stay like that and my ball striking stays the same.
“The win in Kenya sort of came out of the blue. I’d been struggling with my game from the end of last year to the beginning of this year and then Kenya was a surprise win.
“I feel like I’m in a better place with my game, physically and mentally, and I’ve got to stay with what I’m doing and hopefully I can get better in the mental aspect and challenge again this week.”
American Hahn’s best finish on the European Challenge Tour this season was a tie for fourth at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge in May, while highest-placed Irishman Turner has found remarkable form given he has just returned from a lengthy injury lay-off.
Cuartero Blanco, meanwhile, is seeking to follow in the footsteps of Nacho Elvira and Borja Virto Astudillo and become the third Spaniard to win on the Challenge Tour this season, and he got off to the perfect start, carding the best round of his career on Europe’s top developmental tour.
Irish former European Tour winner Simon Thornton was one of 11 players a shot off the pace in tied sixth place, as was Frenchman Gros, who currently lies in second place on the Road to Oman.
Michael Hoey, the Tournament Ambassador, opened with a one under par 70 as the five-time European Tour winner attempts to make the weekend's play at home event for the first time in three years.
