Records fell on Thursday as the pairing of Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo surged to the top of the leaderboard at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, opening with an impressive 14-under-par 58.

Their blistering round saw them overtake Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard, who had themselves equalled the Four-ball scoring record with a 13-under 59 just an hour earlier.

Defending champions Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy began their campaign with a solid eight-under 64, despite McIlroy having battled illness in the week leading up to the tournament.

Lowry made a swift impact on the back nine, securing three birdies within their opening four holes. Masters champion McIlroy later contributed with a birdie at the first and followed up with an eagle at the second.

Reflecting on their performance, McIlroy commented: “Shane got off to a really strong start. I didn’t contribute much at all initially.

“Shane joked that I could have had a couple more hours in bed. I played a bit better towards the end. It was decent overall.

“We felt we left a few shots out there, but we were just saying that the two Foursomes rounds on Friday and Sunday are crucial in this tournament. It’s vital for us to post a strong score tomorrow.”

No defending champions have ever successfully retained their title at the Zurich Classic.