With Rory McIlroy not competing, his rivals in the Race to Dubai had the chance to overtake the four-time major winner in the standings. Nearest rival Danny Willett just needs to finish 28th or better in the 78-man field, while Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose need to finish second or better and Branden Grace requires a win.

Ryder Cup star Garcia claimed is looking to seize his last chance to win on the European Tour this year.

Garcia, who is not playing the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next week, has won 11 times on Tour but back-to-back sixth place finishes in the Open and European Masters are his best results of the campaign.

However, the 35-year-old Spaniard was 11th in the WGC-HSBC Champions last week and continued that good form across the city at Lake Malaren with nine birdies and one bogey in an opening 64.

Starting from the 10th, Garcia birdied four of his first five holes before dropping a shot on the 17th to reach the turn in 33, despite the course playing every inch of its 7,594 yards in the damp, overcast conditions.

Further birdies on the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh saw Garcia home in 31 to finish eight under par, one shot ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Victor Dubuisson and BMW PGA Championship winner Byeong Hun An.

“I obviously played nicely,” Garcia said. “Conditions were quite good – not much wind, a little bit of a drizzle, but other than that it was good. I drove the ball very well and that gave me a lot of opportunities to hit some good iron shots.

“It’s the kind of round that you are looking for and hopefully I keep improving as the week goes on and we’ll be out there on Sunday having a chance.”

Dubuisson, who won the Turkish Airlines Open a fortnight ago but was ineligible for the HSBC Champions, carded a flawless 65 which was matched by playing partner An, with England’s Ross Fisher and Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard a shot behind.

Rose, who bogeyed the 72nd hole 12 months ago to miss out on the three-man play-off by a single shot, birdied four of his last seven holes to shoot 67, with Lowry and Oosthuizen two under and Grace one under.

Willett was two under par with five holes to play but bogeyed the fifth after finding sand off the tee and three-putted the eighth to card a level-par 72.