Argentine veteran Eduardo Romero produced an exhilarating finish in the weather-affected European Masters opening round to move within two strokes of pacesetting Briton Bradley Dredge.
Holder Dredge fired an early five-under 66, boosted by an eagle-two three holes from home, before late in the day the 53-year-old Romero finished his round with an eagle at 15 and a last-hole birdie to share second place on 68.
Play was delayed because of frost at the 6,000-foot high course in the Alps and Dredge took a while to warm up.
A wedge second shot at the par-four sixth, his 15th, allowed the Welshman to surge two strokes ahead of Australian Marcus Fraser and Finn Mikko Ilonen, who has already won twice this season.
As daylight faded, Romero backed up his words from the previous day, when he said he was perfectly capable of winning a third European Masters title even though he was fashioning a highly successful career on the US seniors tour.
"I'm fit and I'm hitting the ball probably longer than I was 10 years ago and I know I can win again," said Romero.
If Romero does triumph, he will easily beat the record set by Ireland's Des Smyth, who won on the main tour when he was 48.
Dredge's good start made him optimistic not only about claiming his third tour title with back-to-back wins in Switzerland, but also for Europe's Ryder Cup points campaign which begins this week.
"The course seems to suit me," said Dredge. "When you've had a win at a course, you come back knowing how you should play it."
On the chances of making his Ryder Cup debut in Kentucky next year, Dredge said: "There's a long way to go but the strength of the field here this week shows it's on people's minds already".
One of last year's triumphant Ryder Cup side, Swede Robert Karlsson, returned a 69 but team mates Darren Clarke and David Howell hit the buffers with 75s.
Clarke's Ryder Cup campaign got off to a decidedly underwhelming start. He opened with a four-over par 75 to lie nine off the lead.
Starting on the 10th, Clarke managed two birdies on the 10th and 14th, but also dropped shots on the 12th, 13th and 18th, the latter coming after his drive unfortunately trickled off the sloping fairway into a bunker.
From there the Clarke did find the putting surface but three-putted from long range, missing from inside three feet for par.
A birdie on the first took the 39-year-old back to level par, but a double bogey on the par-three third soon followed before another double bogey on the sixth left him well off the pace.
Most of the afternoon field were unable to finish their rounds because of the morning delay.
Peter Lawrie (74) and Damien McGrane (77) are also well off the pace at three and six over respectively. Graeme McDowell (73) fared slightly better at two over.
