Bickerton & Price share lead

John Bickerton launched his assault on the Algarve Portuguese Open on Thursday by taking an early one-stroke lead in the first round.

The 30-year-old Englishman is looking to go one better than last year when he lost a playoff for last year's title.

His four-under-par 68 took him a stroke ahead of Frenchman Jean Francois Remesy.

Like Remesy, Bickerton has come up from the Challenge Tour, and the Englishman felt he could afford a longer winter break this time before beginning his 2000 season.

"I played all through the winter and then came on tour in great shape last year," said Bickerton, "but this time I've played no golf over the winter and I needed to go abroad for three early tournaments to get rid of some rust.

"I still wasn't that optimistic about this week because I didn't hit the ball well on the range.

"But then I birdied the first and got more and more confident on the greens, and now I have chance to go one better."

Bickerton and Remesy benefited from a poor finish by American rookie Scott Rowe who dropped three shots in the last three holes to fall back to a 70 and a share of third place.

It was a round of rehabilitation for two former European number ones. The 1989 European rankings winner Ronan Rafferty double-bogeyed the last for a 75 in his first European Tour event for 18 months following a thumb injury.

Ian Woosnam, the 1991 US Masters champion, also making something of a comeback and in the throes of a swing change after back problems, carded a 74, also with a late double-bogey.

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