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McGinley & Stenson share first day lead

Ireland's Paul McGinley posted a six-under 66 on Thursday to join Sweden's Henrik Stenson atop the leaderboard after one round of the International Open. Defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal is one back after an opening-round 67.

The 66s by McGinley and Stenson matched the course record at the Brabazon Course at The De Vere Belfry. Olazabal and Andrew Coltart established the mark in last year's event.

Lightning in the area halted play for 90 minutes but all competitors were able to finish the first round on Thursday.

McGinley opened with a birdie at the 10th, his first hole of the round, but promptly gave the stroke back with a bogey at 11. He then holed a 40-footer for birdie at the par-three 12th before he collected three more front-nine birdies for a 32.

The Irishman drained a 20-foot eagle at the par-five third hole and then parred out for his share of the lead.

"I'm really pleased because 66 is a great score around The Belfry," he said. "I’ve just got to get more days like today with the putter because that is the difference, even one day a week like this. My 69s and 68s don’t really count enough, the standard of golf nowadays is so high and there are so many guys who can do it. The game has gone to a different level to when I first joined the Tour."

Stenson picked up three birdies in a row, starting at the second hole, but dropped two with back-to-back bogeys at five and six. He recovered with a birdie at eight and then chipped in from 20 feet at nine to birdie the hole for a front-nine 33.

The 25-year-old birdied the 190-yard 14th and then followed with a pair of birdies to close out his round, including a curling 15-footer from the middle tier of the final green.

The Swede has made only six cuts all season and his best finish is a tie for 27th two weeks ago at the Portuguese Open.

"It’s been a rough start to the year but I was getting it together in Portugalan Merit title on the European Challenge Tour last year. "I have been working very hard on my putting technique and once you begin to trust it, it is about reading the pace and the line and then knocking it in."

Olazabal mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the front but caught fire on the back. He made a 12-foot birdie at the 10th and then holed out from the side of the green for another birdie at 11.

The defending champion made back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 and then played a wedge shot to a foot at the 15th for a tap-in birdie.

"I am pleased with the way I played and the way I scored but there were still a couple of mis-hits off the tee - it is still the area I need to improve," said Olazabal, who won last week's French Open. "I need to get rid of those. I can do it on the range but I have to try and take it into the tournament. I will keep working on it."

This course will host the Ryder Cup matches in September of this year and European captain Sam Torrance looked more like a member of the team than the captain on Thursday. He shot a four-under 68 in the first round and would have been lower had he not hit close to the stands at 18.

Torrance is joined by Nicolas Vanhootegem, Raphael Jacquelin, Stephen Leaney, Elliot Boult, Diego Borrego, David Gilford and Padraig Harrington at minus- four.

Darren Clarke is part of a group at three-under. Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie struggled on Thursday as they both posted one-over 73s.

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