Adam Scott was scrambling to find his clubs for a dawn Australian PGA Championship start but you wouldn't have known it.
The 2013 Masters champion was typically silky around Royal Queensland, a five-under 66 enough for the early clubhouse lead ahead of Cameron Smith (68) on Thursday.
Scott had an early task for reunited caddy Steve Williams when he woke for a 6am tee time but couldn't find his bag.
Eventually recovered from his manager's room, the pair were welcomed by hundreds of early risers on the 10th tee in a marquee pairing with Open Championship winner Smith and DP World Tour standout Ryan Fox (72).
"It was panic stations ... Steve was kicking doors down," Scott laughed of his early-morning search for clubs.
There were thousands following by the time they finished, Scott reckoning he was the "third wheel" of the group despite the leaderboard at lunch time hinting otherwise.
Sharp approach play led to four tap-in birdies in five holes either side of the turn and then, after back-to-back bogeys brought him back to the field, Scott's putting earned him two more shots in the final three holes.
Scott sought local advice on how to navigate Royal Queensland's dramatically undulating greens that feature sharp run-offs, his decision to putt multiple times from off the green paying off.
"The conditions couldn't be better and you want to take advantage of that," he said.
"I'm very pleased with that, all really solid stuff.
"I may have changed but I know he's (Williams) not (changing, so I knew what to expect and to fall back into familiar routines was easy."
Smith was one-over at the turn but is already salivating at the prospect of a Sunday showdown with Scott after finding some touch on the front nine to finish just two shots back.
"Yeah I'd like it; I haven't done that yet with Scotty," Smith said.
"It'd be epic. He's one of the best golfers ever.
"He holed a lot of putts ... he's one of the best out here. He just has a couple of rough weeks here or there that gives him a bit of a bad name.
"But he's moving it (the ball with his approach shots) both ways, playing the proper shots."
Maverick Antcliff shot a four-under 67 while China's Yanwei Liu was four under through 15 holes.
Dane Nicolai Hojgaard and twin brother Rasmus had rounds of 68 and 69 respectively while defending champion Jed Morgan had a one-under 70.
Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Geoff Ogilvy are all in afternoon groups.
