It did not take long for Lee Westwood to find his range in the US$200,000 Macau Open.
Shrugging aside the effects of jet-lag and making light of capricious early morning breezes, the Englishman lived up to his pre-tournament billing as favourite with a five-under-par 66 at the Macau Golf & Country Club.
Given that he arrived in the Portuguese enclave less than 24 hours before his 8.15 am first-round tee-off time yesterday, it was a commendable effort from the world number seven.
And chillingly for his rivals in the fourth leg of the 1999 Asian PGA Tour, Westwood gave the impression that, by his standards, it was no more than a routine round.
'I putted quite well and hit a lot of good iron shots,' was the 26-year-old's succinct summation of his stroll around the 6,622-yard layout on Coloane Island.
Out in 31 with four birdies, he covered the back nine in one-under 35, courtesy of two birdies and a solitary bogey at the dog-leg left, par-four 16th where he missed the green with his only poor approach shot of the day.