Darren Clarke shared the lead with four Japanese rivals after yesterday's first round of the 140 million yen (£1.5 million) Taiheiyo Masters tournament in Gotemba, central Japan.
Clarke finished on six-under-par 66, which included chipping in for an eagle at the par-five third hole.
He shared the lead with Naomichi Ozaki, Hajime Meshiai, Hirofumi Miyase and Hideki Kase.
Although Clarke's Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood, the defending champion, got off to a bogey-free start, he ended the first round at one stroke off the pace.
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The winner of the tournament will pocket 28 million yen (£300,000).
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