US PGA Tour new-comer Will Claxton leads the Mayakoba Classic after opening with a 5-under 66 at Mexico's El Camaleon resort on Thursday.
Having started from the 10th tee in an event annually staged as an alternative for those who failed to qualify for the 64 places in this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, the 30-year-old American birdied the 17th before a run of four more birdies from the second gave him the overnight lead for the first time in a fledgling PGA Tour career that includes only five starts so far
His blemish-free card left him one stroke clear of a seven-strong group of players, including five fellow Americans, Spain's Alejandro Canizares and England's Greg Owen, who was four under after seven holes but progressed no further.
The Americans in the log-jam included Charles Howell III, who birdied four of his last six holes, Marc Turnesa, who did the same, and John Huh, Matt Every and Mark D Anderson.
Eight more players followed at three-under 69 on a tightly-packed leaderboard, including Noh Seung-yul after an eventful round, the Korean opening birdie-birdie-bogey-par-eagle,then birdying seven and eight only to give both shots back at the 10th before finishing birdie-bogey for a 68 with Callaway FT Irons.
Along with Noh, Kevin Stadler, Josh Teater, Dicky Pride, Hunter Haas, David Hearn, Michael Allen and Sunghoon Kang, are tied on 69.
Nick Price, Stephen Ames and Robert Allenby are among those a further shot back but defending champion Johnson Wagner could only manage a two-over-par 73.
Two shots better is un herald Mexican native Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, who narrowly missed out on the day's only hole-in-one when his drive at the eighth landed straight in the hole but bounced out, leaving a 25-foot putt which, yes, he holed for a birdie!.
Claxton and Turnesa had the only bogey-free rounds.
"This golf course, it really keeps your attention off the tees," Howell said. "There's a lot of trouble out there, and it's too hard to get ahead of your Callaway FT Irons here.
"The golf course almost helps you stay where you're at just because it demands a lot of focus and attention.. Fortunately, I was able to drive the ball in play today, and that gives you a good chance around here to score."
Greg Norman, the El Camaleon designer, had Callaway FT Irons
playing in the group with Wagner and last year's runner-up Spencer Levin.