Keegan Bradley added another memorable chapter to his golden rookie season by taking the first round lead at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
The unassuming 25-year-old American - the winner of the USPGA Championship in August on his first ever start in a major - carded a faultless seven-under 65 to finish the opening round two shots clear of compatriot Bo Van Pelt, a winner in Malaysia last week, and Swedes Fredrik Jacobson and Alex Noren.
Justin Rose is the best-placed Englishman after a 68 which included two eagles while also at four-under are Asian duo KJ Choi and Thongchai Jaidee along with American David Toms.
This time last year Bradley was graduating from the "second division" Nationwide Tour in the United States, but he is now a star of the game.
As well as his USPGA win, he also captured the Byron Nelson Championship at the end of May and last month beat the season's other major winners - Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke - to lift the PGA Grand Slam.
Playing with world number two Lee Westwood and Australian Adam Scott, he started with a birdie on the 401-yard 10th, added another on the long 14th and then holed a 15-foot eagle putt at the 538-yard 18th.
He picked up further shots on the second, fifth and eighth and then made a good two-putt par save at his final hole.
Bradley's omission from the US Presidents Cup team begins to look stranger by the day.
Captain Fred Couples made an early decision to include Tiger Woods whatever his form - Woods is now outside the world's top 50 - and handed his other wild card to FedEx Cup winner Bill Haas.
Favourites
Pre-tournament favourites McIlroy and Westwood are five and four shots back respectively.
McIlroy, watched by girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki for the first time in competition, started with a bogey at 10 and was level par with four to play but birdies at six and eight saw him sign for a two-under 70.
Westwood came close to an albatross at the 594-yard 14th, his approach over the water hitting the flag and stopping less than two feet away.
The resulting eagle and two further birdies got him to four-under before he suffered back-to-back bogeys at five and six. However, a birdie at the par five eighth allowed him to post a solid 69.
Graeme McDowell had seven birdies in his opening round but a triple bogey at the 17th, his eighth, meant he had to settle for a 69 of his own.
Defending champion Francesco Molinari of Italy was five-under with two to play and had the chance to tie Bradley for the lead with two birdies.
However he ran into water trouble and finished double bogey, bogey to fall back down to two-under.
England's Tom Lewis, who qualified for his world championship debut by winning his third event as a professional, had a day to forget after shooting a six-over 78 with no birdies. But that was still four better than 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero who slumped to an 82.
First round leaderboard
(US unless stated)
-7 K Bradley
-5 A Noren (Swe)
-5 F Jacobson (Swe)
-5 B Van Pelt
-4 KJ Choi (Kor)
-4 T Jaidee (Tha)
-4 J Rose (Eng)
-4 D Toms
