Swede Robert Karlsson took another step towards the European Order of Merit title with an opening three-under-par 69 — three behind leaders Mark Foster, Alvaro Quiros and Jyoti Randhawa.
Karlsson, €142,450 ahead of Padraig Harrington at the top of the money list, has a chance to more than quadruple that lead with the Open and US PGA champion having chosen to go to Bermuda instead this week for the Grand Slam of Golf.
With no Harrington the 39-year-old Swede was paired instead with Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez, third and fourth in the table, and they managed only 72 and 73 respectively.
Karlsson, winner of his last two events and runner-up to Steve Webster in last year's Portugal Masters on the same Oceanico Victoria course, is not immune from fatigue.
"You definitely know you have flown all over the world for 10 months, but that was not too bad," said the 39-year-old, who made up for four bogeys with seven birdies.
Foster, a Walker Cup teammate of Harrington's in 1995 also had seven birdies in his 66.
The 33-year-old, whose only Tour title came five years ago in South Africa, is 88th on the Order of Merit and said: "I've been doing nothing wrong all year, but not doing enough right if that makes any sense.
"The bad's not been bad, but the good hasn't been good enough."
Spaniard Quiros is the Tour's biggest hitter, averaging 310 yards per drive, and he turned in a six under 30 before cooling down.
"I'm hitting it straight and I'm hitting it well," he said.
Indian Randhawa, whose wife Tina had just resumed her Bollywood acting career after the birth of their first child, did best of the afternoon starters, not dropping a stroke as he made it a three-way tie at the top.
Graeme McDowell heads a healthy Irish challenge on the Algarve, an opening round of 67 leaving him just one off the pace. Gary Murphy and Rory McIlroy are also well-placed on three-under while Peter Lawrie and Darren Clarke finished on level par. Damien McGrane finished on three-over for the day.
Harrington is not competing this or next week, having gone to Bermuda for the PGA Grand Slam, and so is hoping that Karlsson stays within range at the season-ending Volvo Masters in two weeks' time.
For the second year running the Irishman lost a play-off at Mid-Ocean, this time to Jim Furyk, in the four-man 36-hole event. It meant a cheque for €220,000 rather than €440,000.
