Holland's Robert-Jan Derksen and Spain's Santiago Luna are sharing the first-round lead in the British Masters at Woburn.
Derksen and Luna are tied at five under par after their opening rounds, one clear of a group of seven players that includes Phillip Price and defending champion Thomas Levet.
Sweden's Olle Karlsson is also on four under with four holes still to play.
Tournament favourite Colin Montgomerie picked up three birdies in his first eight holes but lost his momentum and finished at two under par.
The Scot was overshadowed by his countryman, Barry Hume, the amateur leading the tournament at one stage before dropping back late on for a suberb three under par 69.
At one point Ian Woosnam was leading the way at three under with playing partner Price, but the veteran Welshman fell away to card a level-par 72.
Other leading names to have completed the first round include Darren Clarke, who shot a one-over-par 73, and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who finished two under for the day.
France's Marc Farry and England's Gary Evans managed to get as low as six under during their rounds.
But they both dropped shots to finish in a group of 10 players on three under par.
First-round scores (completed holes in brackets):
(Great Britain and Ireland unless stated)
Five under: Santiago Luna (Spa) (after 18 holes), Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) (18)
Four under: Phillip Price (18), Thomas Levet (Fra) (18), Soren Hansen (Den) (18), Ian Poulter (18), Raymond Russell (18), Olle Karlsson (14), Phil Golding (13)
Three under: Barry Hume (18), Des Smyth (18), Marc Farry (Fra) (18), Gary Evans (18), Sven Struver (Ger) (18), Chris Gane (18), Robert Karlsson (Swe) (18), Jean Hugo (Rsa) (18), John Bickerton (18), Robert Coles (17)
Selected others:
Two under: Thomas Bjorn (Den) (18), Colin Montgomerie (18)
One under: Lee Westwood (18)
Level: Ian Woosnam (18)
One over: Darren Clarke (18), Padraig Harrington (17)
