Gareth Shaw showed some encouraging form after a slow spell when he opened with a bogey free 67 in the Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda.

The 29-year old made four birdies in an immaculate round as Italy’s Filippo Bergamaschi grabbed the lead with a stunning round of 61 at Godersdorf in Austria.

The Italian is yet to record a top 100 finish in three appearances on the Challenge Tour so far this season, and failed to break 80 in his two rounds at last week’s Made in Denmark Challenge.

But in a vivid demonstration of the fickle nature of golf, Bergamaschi put his miserable run behind him in emphatic fashion with eight birdies and an eagle in a flawless display at Golfclub Schloss Finkenstein, where he finished in a tie for third last year.

His ten under par total gives Bergamaschi a one shot lead over American Daniel Im, who had posted a round of 62 earlier in the day.

Kevin Phelan, Ruaidhri McGee and Simon Thornton all shot three under 68s to share 48th place.

61 F Bergamaschi (Ita)

62 D Im (USA)

63 W Booth (Sco), J Dantorp (Swe)

64 K Subregis (Fra), J Hahn (USA), N Elvira (Esp) 

65 P Figueiredo (Por), A Rota (Ita), D Kemmer (USA), C Arendell (USA), S Gros (Fra), B Rusch (Sui), R McGowan (Eng), T Murray (Eng), J Simon De Miguel (Esp), T Gornik (Slo), P Howard (Eng)

66 J Stalter (Fra), N Ravano (Ita), B Parker (Eng), G Porteous (Eng), D Ulrich (Sui), E Dubois (Fra), J Fahrbring (Swe), T Elissalde (Fra), R Evans (Eng), D Law (Sco), A Björk (Swe), M Søgaard (Den)

67 T Pilkadaris (Aus), H Bacher (Aut), A Halvorsen (Nor), D Huizing (Ned), B Neumayer (Aut), M Rominger (Sui), R Gouveia (Por), S Arnold (Aus), B Paolini (USA), W Harrold (Eng), B Åkesson (Swe), Gareth Shaw (Nir), G Boyd (Eng), J Sarasti (Esp), P Widegren (Swe), B Virto Astudillo (Esp), J Walters (RSA)

68 D Vancsik (Arg), J Kunzenbacher (Ger), Kevin Phelan (Irl), D Frittelli (RSA), J Maurer (Aut), P Maddy (Eng), S Kim (USA), R Kellett (Sco), S Wakefield (Eng), H Joannes (Bel), J Guerrier (Fra), S Walker (Eng), Simon Thornton (Irl), Ruaidhri McGee (Irl), S Heisele (Ger), J Girrbach (Sui), B Stow (Eng), V Riu (Fra), B Etchart (Esp)