Veteran golfer Michael Hendry leads the exclusive field at the Charles Tour's season-ending Race to Tieke.
Hendry, who overcame leukemia in 2023-24, fired a near-perfect seven-under 64 in the first round of the 54-hole event at the Tieke Golf Estate, near Hamilton, on Wednesday, to lead by two shots.
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The only blemish during Hendry's round was a bogey at the par-four 14th, while he made a round-best eight birdies - at the first, third, fourth, sixth, ninth, 12th, 16th and 17th holes.
The 45-year-old, who plays on the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour, leads Auckland teen Josh Bai by two, with four golfers, including Josh Geary, the winner at the PGA Tour of Australasia's Vic Open last week, a further stroke back.
Bai made an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys in his five-under 66, while Geary had six birdies and two bogeys in his four-under 67, to be tied with Mako Thompson, Cooper Moore and James Tauariki.
Five golfers, including Asian Tour pro Denzel Ieremia and women's leader Emma Zheng of Auckland, are tied at three-under.
Ieremia made two eagles, a birdie and two bogeys, while Zheng, who leads Muriwai's Rebekah Blackwell-Chin by two shots in the women's category, managed four birdies and a bogey.
The tournament, which features the top-24 golfers on the 2024-25 Charles Tour Order of Merit plus invited professionals, continues with round two on Thursday, with the final round on Friday.