Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley signed for four-under-par the opening round of the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea to lie one shot off the lead shared by Finland's Miko Ilonen and Australia's Tony Carolan.

The pair are accompanied by a host of players including Japan's Shingo Katayama and India's Jeev Milkha Singh, while little-known South Korean Hwang Inn-Choon gave the galleries reason to cheer in the inaugural European Tour event with his 68.

Ilonen, who won two European Tour events last season, the Scandinavian Masters and the Indonesian Open, carded four birdies and a bogey on his opening nine before two further birdies in a 67.

McDowell tied for fifth in the Dubai Desert Classic last month, and made three birdies and two bogeys on his opening nine after starting at the 10th.

Successive birdies on the par-five fourth and the par-three fifth elevated McDowell to three under before a four on the par-five ninth, his last, resulted in a 68.

McDowell said: "It lacks a bit of rough, so you can give it a bit of a lash of the tee, but you've got to be super smart coming into these greens.

"They were quite generous with the pins today, so there was a little bit of a score to be had but you've still got to be quite smart.

"I played the last seven holes in three under, so it's pleasant enough, and it was nice to finish with a birdie."

Padraig Harrington made a steady if unspectacular start with a one under 71, as did Damien McGrane. The Open champion reached the turn on one under alongside Singh, who made a double bogey six on the 18th, his ninth, following three birdies in the opening four holes.

Dubliner Harrington fell back to level par with a bogey on the par-three second, his 11th.

A birdie on the par-five fourth followed, but successive dropped shots on the sixth and seventh left the Irishman in trouble, but he salvaged a below-par score with two straight birdies to complete his round.

The 36-year-old played a lob wedge from 72 yards and converted from eight feet, before a four on the par-five ninth, his 18th.

"It's a pretty tough day with the wind," said Harrington. "Assuming four under is leading or thereabouts, one under is fine."

Rory McIlroy and Gary Murphy struggled to make an impact and finished on four over.

American Chris DiMarco, playing with home favourite KJ Choi and Anthony Kim, an American of Korean descent, threatened to emerge from a form slump which he has described as the worst period of his career.

The two-time Ryder Cup player opened with successive birdies before a third birdie at the par-three fifth put him on three under par.

However, the 39-year-old bogeyed the seventh and reached the turn in 34, while Choi was level and Kim was one under.

Welshman Garry Houston signed for a 69 and was among a group of players on three under.