Masters champion Danny Willett bounced back from his Players Championship disappointment to move in to a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
Willett, who missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass last week in his first start since last month's Augusta victory, fired a birdie-filled 65 to set the pace at the K Club, where tournament host Rory McIlroy also made a strong start to the week.
After opening with back-to-back pars, Willett rolled in a birdie-two after a stunning tee shot at the third and McIlroy posted his first gain from six feet at the par-four next.
The world No 3 picked up another shot at the sixth to get in to the group one adrift of morning pace-setters Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer, with Willett joining those on two under by stiffing his approach to the seventh pin and converting a kick-in birdie.
McIlroy saw a 15-footer at the eighth sneak past the right edge but birdied the next to reach the turn in 32, as Willett coaxed home a 10-footer to also move within one of Callum Shinkwin at the top of the leaderboard.
A two-putt gain from just off the 10th green by McIlroy was matched by Willett from close range, before the Masters champion made it a hat-trick of birdies with a winding putt at the next to get to five under.
Willett nudged in from close range at the 13th to claim the outright advantage and moved three clear by draining a long-range gain at the next, as McIlroy three-putted the 14th and Shinkwin carded a first dropped shot of the day at his penultimate hole.
As McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at 17 to save par, Willett missed the green with his approach from near the grandstand and two-putted from the fringe for a first blemish of the day.
A six-foot birdie at the last saw McIlroy close a five-under 67 and briefly move within one of the lead, only for Willett, playing in the following group, to find the par-five green in two and two-putt from 10 feet.
Shinkwin finished with a four-under 68, with Jaco Van Zyl moving in to the tie for second after posting four birdies along the back nine.
Fisher and two-time major champion Kaymer defied tough conditions to set the clubhouse target earlier in the day, both posting opening-round 69s in persistent rain.
Former tournament winner Shane Lowry bogeyed his final hole to close a one-under 71 as Andy Sullivan, who became a father for the second time on Wednesday, kicked off his week with a three-over 75.
"I hit the ball really well today, a lot of good iron shots, especially on my back nine," Lowry said. "I feel like I probably should be at least two or three better.
"They don't give out trophies on Thursday so I'm in the tournament and looking forward to the next few days."
Watch the Irish Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Live second round coverage begins on Friday from 9.30am.