Fisher started on the back nine at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club and made an eagle on his opening hole of the day before collecting nine birdies to reach 11-under-par with two holes remaining.

Birdies on those two holes would have seen Fisher emulate namesake Oliver Fisher in breaking the 60-barrier, but the former Ryder Cup player bogeyed the eighth and parred the last.

An opening 62 was only good enough for a share of the lead with Spain's Nacho Elvira and South Africans Tristen Strydom and Hennie Du Plessis on 10-under-par, with Spain's Pablo Larrazabal a shot behind.

Elvira made seven birdies in a row to start his back nine and 126 players in the 156-strong field broke par.

Leading Australian Jason Scrivener would, by rights, have expected his opening round of six-under 66 to be challenging for the lead.

Instead, his seven-birdie round saw him lying only joint-20th amid the birdie fest going on around the course.

Scott Hend's four-under 68 was good enough only for joint 50th place, with Maverick Antcliff's two-under 70 leaving him in a tie for 93rd.