Defending champion Thomas Pieters one off the lead at Czech Masters

Defending champion Thomas Pieters sits one stroke adrift of Ryan Evans after the opening round of the Czech Masters.

Pieters, who claimed a three-shot victory last year, carded a five-under 67 to set the early clubhouse target with Sweden's Peter Hanson.

Late starter Evans then claimed the outright advantage after mixing seven birdies with a solitary blemish, while Robert Karlsson and Scott Jamieson scored opening 68s.

Matt Fitzpatrick leads the group three strokes off the pace, with Ryder Cup hopeful Lee Westwood part of the tie on two under.

Beginning on the back nine, Pieters made a fast start by following four birdies in a six-hole stretch with another gain at the par-five first.

Successive birdies from the fifth briefly lifted the Belgian to seven under, only for him to double-bogey the eighth with an errant tee shot and close-range missed putt.

Pieters and Hanson were briefly joined in a share of the lead by Karlsson, who opened with four consecutive gains on his way to a front-nine 31.

Karlsson failed to make any further inroads after the turn, as Jamieson temporarily made it a four-way tie when he rolled in a birdie-two at the seventh.

The Scot dropped a shot at the next, his penultimate hole, to slip back to four under, with Karlsson also falling to make it into that group after a bogey-five at the 14th.

Evans made his move with three birdies in four holes on his way to reaching the turn in 33, before picking up shots on both of the par-fives and posting a gain at the last to claim the first-round lead. 

Graeme Storm, Robert Coles and Bradley Dredge all sit part of a seven-way tie for fourth, while Fitzpatrick drained a 15-footer at the last to sign for a blemish-free 69.

Former major champions John Daly and Paul Lawrie also sit on three under, as does Daniel Gaunt after aceing his tee shot at the par-three third.

Westwood birdied three of his opening four holes to being with a two-under 70, while fellow Ryder Cup hopeful Andy Sullivan struggled to a three-over 75.

Watch the Czech Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports - your home of golf

Live European Tour Golf