Australian Scott Barr has made a solid start to the Malaysian Open to be in touch with the leaders after the opening round of play.
Barr carded a bogey-free four-under-par round of 68 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club to lie three shots off the lead.
Compatriots Darren Beck and Scott Strange are a further stroke back, with Marcus Fraser and Unho Park at two under.
Challenge Tour graduate Rhys Davies sparkled on Thursday to share a one-shot first-round lead with Spain's Ignacio Garrido.
The 24-year-old Davies, still buzzing after matching his career-high finish on the European Tour by claiming sixth in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year, blazed a flawless 65.
A hot and admittedly sometimes lucky putter helped 1997 Ryder Cup winner Garrido share the clubhouse lead over in-form Asian No.1 Thongchai Jaidee and South Korea's Kim Dae-hyun after the Spaniard dropped just one shot in energy-sapping humidity.
"I have had two weeks off since India (European Tour Avantha Masters) so you don't know how you are going to come back after that. I had a decent showing in the Middle East before India and I think that was important for me," said Davies.
"I had a couple of good scores in Abu Dhabi and I fed off that. That is the key for me, when I start to make some birdies I want to take advantage of the fact I am playing well in that moment and really push on and make as many as possible."
And Davies, who finished 35th at the Avantha Masters, certainly made his fair share of birdies during his first round with five gains on the scoring-friendly front nine which included a hat-trick of birdies sparked by a putt from off the green at the par-five fifth.
He started the tougher back nine with a sixth birdie of the day, but did have to wait until the 17th for his next to join Garrido in a share of the clubhouse lead which remained unchallenged.
"I didn't actually have the best warm-up so I wasn't striking the ball as well as I would have liked so I tried not to think about it. I think the fact that I made a few birdies early on was important for me and I just pushed on from there," added Davies.
"I hit a few good shots early on and had birdie chances on six of the first seven holes and managed to make most of them so that was great."
Davies actually cut his teeth on the Asian Tour in 2008 with three top-10 finishes and, after claiming second at the Thailand Open last year, posted two wins on the Challenge Tour to finish fourth on the Order of Merit and to earn his card despite playing the fewest events of the top 20.
"Playing a lot in Asia before has helped a little bit. It is really hot and very demanding, but you just have to tell yourself that it is the same for everyone," he said.
"Even the local players are finding it tough. It is something everyone has got to deal with and it's not as though I dread it, I feel fairly comfortable."
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship quarter-finalist Thongchai wobbled down the stretch with a pair of late bogeys to share second alongside Kim, who picked up five shots over his final five