Englishman Matthew Southgate bogeyed the final hole on Thursday to post a 65 along with countryman Richard Mansell, Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Swede Joakim Lagergren, who still had one hole to play when play was suspended for the day.

The 21-year-old, who tied for second place at this year's Open Championship at Hoylake, had a relaxed approach to making his tournament debut.

"It played really hard today with the rain. This course when it starts to rain and with the wind up, it's not easy," he said.

"I just tried to play the round as stress-free as possible. I definitely did that. I hit it really well, positioned myself well off the tee and I'm definitely feeling good going into the next three days."

He is currently in line for a qualification spot for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be held at the same golf course on the outskirts of the city.

"The Olympics being here is just a bonus," he said.

"Knowing the Olympics is going to be here next year, if I can qualify then it's definitely good prep."

Mansell was proud of the way he coped with tricky conditions that involved changing tees, with many players not starting their rounds on the first hole.

West Australian Min Woo Lee never quite clicked into top gear as he ended the day in joint-36th position, after finishing five shots adrift with a two-under 69 that featured a mixed bag of five birdies and three bogeys.

"The Olympics being here is just a bonus," he said. "Knowing the Olympics is going to be here next year, if I can qualify then it's definitely good prep."– Tom Kim.

Last year's runner-up Rasmus Hojgaard was two shots back at five-under with nine others.

Defending champion Guido Migliozzi had a poor day and finished with a one-over 72, including a double bogey on 13 of the weather-beaten Le Golf National Albatros course. The Italian followed up with two-straight birdies to limit the damage.

Migliozzi won by one shot from Hojgaard last year after a stunning nine birdies saw him tie the course record with a nine-under 62 in the final round, clinching his third victory on the DP World Tour.