Scott Strange cashed in on a red-hot day with the putter, tying the Creek Course record with a nine-under-par 63 at 13th Beach to claim a four-stroke lead after Thursday's opening round of the Victorian Open.
Strange was 10 under with one hole to play, only to card a bogey at the last.
It left him four shots clear of fellow Australians Aron Price and Michael Sim, with countryman David Bransdon (68) in outright fourth spot.
"I felt like I was 15 again with the putter - I was holing everything," said the 38-year-old Strange after equalling Mitch Brown's course record.
"I actually said to the guys, 'This is ridiculous'.
"I was looking at 30-footers and they were just going in, centre cup.
"It was windy and it was difficult, but any day you're doing that, you're going to shoot a number and today I just managed to roll some putts in."
Strange would have claimed sole ownership of the course record but for the blemish late in his round.
"Sadly, I bogeyed the ninth (his final hole), but it's a pretty good round," said Strange, a former European Tour player who plies his trade in Japan.
"I haven't shot nine under in a long time so it's nice to actually get it going.
"When you play a lot of tough golf courses all the time, you forget how to score and make a lot of birdies."
Strange, the 2009 OneAsia order of merit winner, said it had been six years since he had won a professional tournament.
"I've had quite a few runner-up finishes the last four or five years," he said.
"It would mean a lot; it would mean I'm getting back to where I was."
Defending champion Richard Green defied a back injury to card a solid one-under 71 to be in a tie for 25th.
The field alternate between the Beach and Creek courses for the opening two rounds.
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