A late eagle has catapulted Korean sensation Byeong Hun An into the clubhouse lead during a wet and wild start to the Australian Open in Sydney.
An's three on the par-5 eighth, his penultimate hole of the day after teeing off on the 10th, plus five birdies and two bogeys, earned the former teenage prodigy a five-under-par 67 on Thursday.
The world No.51 and youngest-ever winner of the US Amateur title, an event Tiger Woods ruled for three straight years, was one stroke clear of Victorian Mat Jager midway through the first round.
Uber driver Adam Stephens, 2016 Olympian Marcus Fraser and fellow Australian Dimitrios Papadatos were all sharing third place and also safely in the clubhouse before heavy rain began to lash the Lakes layout.
As many of Australia's top golfers floundered in buffeting winds on Thursday, Stephens seized the joint clubhouse lead with a three-under-par 69 at The Lakes.
Last week's NSW Open winner Jake McLeod continued his hot run with a two-under 70, a score matched by Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya and veteran Andrew Dodt.
But pre-tournament favourite Cameron Smith struggled to a two-over 74, as did the Queenslander's American playing partner Brandt Snedeker as buffeting winds caused havoc for many of the morning starters.
Antonio Murdaca, who graced Augusta National three years ago, opened his round with a horror 10 on the first hole and never recovered.
The South Australian was 15 over through 16 holes.
Murdaca, though, was far from the only player to come unstuck.
US PGA Tour star Brendan Steele racked up a nine on the par-5 11th, the water hole made famous seven years ago by John Daley's walk-off after the American hot-head dunked seven balls in the drink.
Defending champion Cameron Davis also had a mare, hitting two balls in the water on the first hole en route to a quadruple eight.
Any hopes of a recovery evaporated on the second as Davis chalked up a double before carding a bogey on the third to be seven over par in a disastrous defence of the Stonehaven Cup.
American drawcards Matt Kuchar and Keegan Bradley had afternoon tee times.
