Ross Drummond and Giuseppe Cali fired one under 71s to claim the first round lead in the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall.
Hot on their heels are Scots Bill Longmuir, Essex-based club pro Bill McColl and Gordon J Brand who carded level par rounds of 72.
But star names Ian Woosnam (79), Sam Torrance (76) and defending champion Carl Mason (77) fared less well in a testing day on the Dave Thomas-designed Hunting Course which was playing every one of its 7,081 yards.
It was a better day however for another Ryder Cup stalwart Gordon Brand Junior who marked his debut on the European Seniors Tour with a one over par 73 to sit just two shots off the lead alongside nine other players.
Drummond and Cali though were the pick of the players with both clawing their way up the leaderboard with impressive back nines after both were out in 38.
The Scot, still awaiting his first win on the Seniors Tour, took time to find his stride but ignited his round with four birdies on the inward nine including a stunning three on the last with a three wood to two feet from a downhill lie.
"Nothing happened for me going out at all," said Drummond. "I had quite a few birdie chances but couldn't get the ball in the hole at all but on the back nine I started rolling the putts better and made four birdies.
"It's just unfortunate I had a bogey on 17 when I came up short in the bunker and didn't get it up and down but had a huge bonus on 18 with a three. I hit three wood off the tee, three for the second shot and put it to two feet which was a great way to finish."
"I've been playing fairly inconsistent this year but today was a lot better," he added.
"Today I managed to make some putts and hole some birdies which is something I haven't managed so far. At least if you can make some birdies it offsets the bogeys and bad shots."
Cali admitted a bogey on the first stung him into action and while he shipped further strokes on the ninth and 16th he got into red figures with birdies at 10, 12, 14 and 15.
Torrance's was less successful and his bid to rediscover his best form suffered a blow with a double bogey on the last hole.
"It's disappointing but double-bogeying the last is a pain," he said. "I pushed my tee shot into the rough and then hit it over the back which was dead.
"I haven't played well for a while and missed the last two cuts so my form has not been good at all. I just need to hole some putts. This is a good course but if you get into the rough you are dead."
Woosnam admitted he just played poorly and was frustrated to pick up a belated penalty stroke after his caddy trod on his ball while looking for it in the rough on the 11th.
"I just couldn't get into my rhythm at all, it was too slow," he said.