India, March 27 -- As far as bright starts go, Nicolas Colsaerts was the proverbial early bird after setting the bar on the morning of the first round in the $2.5 million Hero Indian Open DP World Tour event here on Thursday. Teeing off early, he shot a 4-under 68, getting to grips with the picturesque yet demanding DLF Golf and Country Club course.

The 42-year-old Belgian, marking 25 years as a golf pro, stumbled through the front nine with three bogeys and four birdies before sinking three birdies in a serene bogey-free back nine display, joined at the top by Marcus Kinhult. The 28-year-old Swede began brightly, sinking three birdies in his first four holes and, like Colsaerts, played a bogey-free second nine that had a lone birdie.

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