Coles leads after first day 64

Robert Coles leads the Wales Open after a first round 64. Allsport

Ian Woosnam and Mark James turned back the years to move into contention to end a three-year win drought in the inaugural Wales Open at Celtic Manor.

Former Ryder Cup captain James fired a five-under-par 67 while home favourite Woosnam carded an opening 68 over the Wentwood Hills course.

However England's Robert Coles fired probally the best round of his career to take a demanding first day lead.

The 27-year-old carded a flawless eight-under-par 64to establish a new course record over the 7,400-yard Wentwood Hills lay-out. That gave the qualifying school graduate a four-shot lead over Denmark's Anders Hansen and Doncaster's Ian Garbutt, who both carded 68s.

"I don't know where that came from," admitted Coles, who had missed the cut in his last three events after an encouraging tie for seventh place in the French Open.

"Nothing's been happening the last few weeks but I got off to quite a nice start and it just got going. I'm asking myself now why I can't do this every week.

Severiano Ballesteros's perennial injury problems resurfaced on Thursday to force the 43-year-old Spaniard to pull out of the inaugural Wales Open after just eight painful holes.

Now the three-time British Open Champion has to battle to get himself fit for this year's championship next month at St Andrews, where he lifted the old claret jug trophy in 1984.

Ballesteros was hoping to find the sort of form he discovered in Wales a decade ago when he won the Epson Grand Prix but instead a hip problem coupled with his old back injury led to him leaving for home early.

The five-time major champion had an immediate crushing blow when he began his first round, triple-bogeying the first after losing a ball.

Even though his short game was good enough to earn him a couple of birdies soon after, the hip put paid to any chance of recovery and Ballesteros retired from the tournament at the ninth.

"I've had the hip problem for two days and I didn't practise yesterday," he said.

"I had to take anti-inflammatory pills last night but it didn't feel too bad this morning so I decided to play.

"Then it started to worsen. I didn't feel as though I had any power in my right leg and it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to carry on.

"I've had back problems for a long time but never felt pain in my hip before so this is worrying.

"I'm going home to rest up and hope I recover."

Ballesteros is planning a return for the Irish Open in three weeks' time when he will begin his build-up to the St Andrews major which is on three weeks later.

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