New Zealand golfer Kazuma Kobori sits inside the top-10 after the opening round of the DP World Tour's Bahrain Championship.
Kobori fired a bogey-free four-under 68 at the Royal Golf Club on Thursday (Friday NZ Time) to be tied for 10th, seven strokes behind the early leader, Englishman Brandon Robinson Thompson.
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The 23-year-old Cantabrian, in his first full season on Europe's top tour, made birdies at the third, fifth, 12th and 18th holes.
The conservative route worked at the par-five third, with his approach shot from 100 yards landing within four feet for birdie, before knocking his second shot at the par-four fifth to within five feet.
Kobori put his tee shot at the par-three 12th inside four feet for birdie and rolled in an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-four closing hole.
Like Kobori, coming off a missed cut at last week's Ras Al Khaimah Championship, fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier carded a two-under 70 on day one in Bahrain, to be tied for 35th.
Hillier made birdies at the third, 11th and 14th holes, while his lone bogey came at the par-five ninth after missing the fairway and then having trouble in the greenside native area. The highlight of his round was a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-four 11th.
Both golfers are among the late group to tee off their second rounds on Friday, with Hillier at 11.30am local time (9.30pm NZT) and Kobori in the last group to go from the 10th hole at 12.40pm local time (10.40pm NZT).