Francesco Molinari continued his love affair with Wentworth on day one of the BMW PGA Championship as the big names of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Luke Donald wilted in the Surrey sunshine.
Molinari, whose brother Edoardo retired with a wrist injury at eight-over par through 16 holes, has a fine record in this competition, having finished seventh, ninth and seventh the last three years.
And while McIlroy was feeling the effects of fatigue thanks to a gruelling schedule, Molinari was enjoying his time in the spotlight.
"I think I missed one green on the third and chipped up to two feet, so it was as stress-free as it could be round here," said the 32-year-old, who has recorded just one top-10 finish in 10 starts on the PGA Tour this season.
"I love this place and it's good to be back. It rewards accuracy, which suits my game.
"Playing in America is a new challenge and I think it's helping my game to improve. Hopefully I will get my rewards soon."
A win on Sunday could lift Molinari from 66th in the world rankings to inside the top 30, securing his place in the US Open and Open Championship.
"I missed the Masters this year after 22 majors in a row and it was not a nice feeling, so I hope I will be back soon," he added.
Rose, who describes Wentworth as the tournament he would most like to win outside the majors, had a mixed front-nine that included four birdies and three bogeys before parring his way home for a one-under 71.
Donald fared slightly better, though it didn't always look good for the two-time champion until he rattled off four birdies between the 12th and 17th to finish on two-under.
Molinari will head in to Friday's second round with a two-shot lead over Sweden's Robert Karlsson, with Englishman Chris Wood, Scotland's Marc Warren, former US PGA champion YE Yang and Spanish pair Miguel Angel Jimenez and Jorge Campillo all at four-under.
Karlsson has suffered a number of problems with form and fitness since topping the Order of Merit in 2008, most famously withdrawing from the 2012 Open Championship on the eve of the event because he was unable to start his backswing.
The 45-year-old Swede at least has happier memories of Wentworth, shooting a course-record 62 in the third round in 2010 after having to hire a private jet to get back to London on Saturday morning because he had flown home to Monaco the day before thinking he had missed the cut.
Wood, meanwhile, is recovering from a broken wrist suffered during a tennis lesson in October and is playing just his seventh event of the season, with only one top-25 finish in that stretch.
"It's a long way for me to fall and it hurt," the six-foot-six Bristolian joked. "I was in a cast for two months and it was a nightmare to miss out on the desert swing this year - particularly as I won in Qatar in 2013 - watching on telly when it's freezing at home and 30 degrees in Dubai.
"It's been a struggle and feels like I have been working hard to finish 30th every week. I did finish third in Morocco but I think it was always going to be a bit of a battle after five months.
"We are coming into the meat of the season now so hopefully I can find my form."
The younger Molinari aside, there were two high-profile pull-outs on Thursday morning, as Stephen Gallacher withdrew shortly before his tee-time with a wrist problem, while three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, who skipped Wednesday's pro-am, lasted just two holes before being forced out when his injured shoulder flared up.
England's Andrew Johnston is one player driving home in a new BMW thanks to an ace at the 10th, which he celebrated with a chest-bump with a spectator.