Ross Fisher has played some great rounds in the past, but none as impressive, or as unexpected, as the one he produced yesterday to take the lead on the first day of the European Open at the London Club in Ash, Kent.

Playing the course “blind”, having not walked or played it before, Fisher had a nine-under-par 63 that he could describe only as “surreal”. For once, the game seemed absurdly easy and the Englishman ended the day with a lead of two strokes over Graeme McDowell, of Northern Ireland, and David Frost, of South Africa.

Starting at the 10th, Fisher had four birdies in the first seven holes and finished with a run of six in succession from the 4th to record a course record. His only blemish was a bogey at the 17th and the round was testament to the faith he put in his caddie, Adam Marrow, who literally called the shots.

It is surprising to think, therefore, that Fisher had considered pulling out of the tournament because of fatigue. In succession, the 27-year-old had played the US Open, in San Diego, the BMW International Open, in Munich, the French Open, in Paris, and 36 holes of Open Championship qualifying, at Sunningdale on Monday, when he came through successfully with rounds of 66 and 68.

After passing up the opportunity to practise, Fisher went to Wimbledon with his wife, Jo, on Tuesday and sent Marrow on a reconnaissance trip to Kent. How it paid off.

On Wednesday, he had a chipping and pitching lesson with Mark Roe - who is gaining a reputation as an expert teacher of the short game - and produced a number of shots that set up birdies and one, at the par-three 7th, that found the hole from a greenside bunker. “I really fancied it,” Fisher said. “This was one I had been practising and it came out perfect.”

One of the game's longest hitters, Fisher astonished even himself with a tee-shot at his last hole, the 448-yard par-four 9th, where he cut the corner with a drive and finished up only 20 yards short of the green, from where he pitched to within three feet.

It is the work he is doing with Roe (who has also revived Lee Westwood's fortunes) that is beginning to reap dividends. His short game has let him down in the past - significantly when he handed Phil Mickelson victory at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai last year after chipping into the water at the 72nd green - but he has new techniques to work on and is learning fast.

“Ross is a delight to work with,” Roe said “He's like a sponge. He soaks up ideas and puts them into practice and has a fantastic work ethic. He should be thinking of winning majors.”

There were rounds of 69 for Justin Rose, 70 for Colin Montgomerie and Ian Poulter, 71 for Sergio García and 72 for Padraig Harrington.

In the first week of random drugs testing on the European Tour, six players were selected to give samples.