Andrew Dodt set the early pace at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, shooting an impressive 6-under 66 in blustery conditions to take the clubhouse lead after the opening round.

Dodt, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, fired one eagle and six birdies against two bogeys to hold a two-shot advantage over Rashid Khan of India at the €1 million (approximately US$1.09 million) event staged at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius in Anahita.

"It’s not easy out there. If you’re off by just a little bit, it gets magnified by the wind. I played really solid. I didn’t make many mistakes and the momentum of the round just kept flowing," said the 30-year-old Dodt.

Dodt fired two straight birdies starting from the 10th before dropping a shot on 14. He bounced back strongly with a birdie on the next and an eagle on the 18 to turn in four-under. He stumbled with another bogey on the second but recovered with three birdies on his way home.

"Knocking those six-footers in for par just keeps the momentum going. I didn’t hit a good shot into the tenth, but managed to chip in for birdie and that kept the round going. Then on 11, I went in the fairway bunker and hit a seven iron out to about two feet. I hit an eight iron from 96 metres at one stage. I haven’t done that before.

"This course can bite you at any stage, so there’s a long way to go and a lot of golf to be played. You just try and stay in there and hang tough. You have to stay patient and limit the mistakes," added Dodt.

Jason Scrivener opened his Mauritius Open campaign steady with a 1-under 71 to be tied 10th heading into the second round. Sam Brazel and Scott Head are sitting tied 36th after a 1-over 73, while Terry Pilkadaris and Unho Park are a further shot back.