Ryder Cup hopefuls Robert MacIntyre and Alexander Bjork seized their chance to personally impress Europe captain Luke Donald on day one of the D+D Real Czech Masters - but Shane Lowry faltered on the back-nine leaving his Cup fortunes hanging in the balance.
Playing alongside Donald in the penultimate qualifying event at Albatross Golf Resort, MacIntyre carded an opening 66 and Bjork went one better with a 65 to share second place, two shots behind pacesetter Sami Valimaki.
Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg, who had been placed in the same group as vice-captain Francesco Molinari, carded rounds of 65 and 68 respectively, with Yannik Paul shooting a 66 matched by Molinari's brother Edoardo, his playing partner for the first two rounds and another vice-captain.
Donald admitted on Wednesday the identity of his six wild cards was giving him sleepless nights, but he can only have been encouraged by the form of those trying to make the case for selection.
MacIntyre holds the third and final automatic qualifying place on the European Points list and a victory in Prague, coupled with none of his rivals finishing in the top five, would seal his place in the side.
"I'm delighted with the round," MacIntyre said after a bogey-free 66. "I was hoping for that after last week (a missed cut in Northern Ireland).
"I played just to try and get the rust off because I knew how important these two weeks were. I felt like I drove it well, iron play was good and I putted decent.
"I've got a lot on my mind, a lot going on and I've just got to keep fighting."
Bjork, who is 20th on the European Points list, also kept his card bogey-free and finished with four straight birdies in front of Donald, whose own 71 was marred by a double-bogey six on the
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