Joost Luiten, Scott Hend and Y.E. Yang set the clubhouse target on Thursday after each hitting an opening-round 65 to finish the first day of the 2016 BMW PGA Championship at the top of the leaderboard.
Danny Willett finished on 66 and had to settle for finishing one shot off the leaders, despite being the only player not to hit a bogey on day one at Wentworth Club.
Englishmen Robert Rock and Luke Donald kept pace with the leaders, thanks to rounds of 67 and 68, respectively. Meanwhile, some late struggles undermined Graeme McDowell's efforts to do the same.