Leany leads with opening 64

Australian Stephen Leaney altered his putting style in a bid to climb the world rankings and reaped immediate benefit by taking the early German Masters lead with an eight-under-par 64 on Thursday.

"I've been struggling for some time and missed four cuts in a row," said Leaney. "Much to do with my putting.

"So I changed my routine, just focusing on the cup, my target, instead of worrying about the outcome of my putt.

"I'd been getting so uptight," he said.

"I can do with another victory so I can at least break into the top 75. I started this year in 200th place, because I didn't have a very good year last year.

"I want to play world championship events because if you don't, you're $35 million short at the start of the year!"

Leaney is also looking to climb into the European rankings top 20 from his current 38th spot by the end of this event, to seal a place in next week's WGC American Express Championship.

The 33-year-old Western Australian has other ambitions.

He is keen to try his hand on the US Tour and wants to qualify this year.

His hopes of making final qualifying for the US Tour depend on whether compatriot Peter Fowler and Sweden's Pierre Fulke, who finished higher than him on the Australasian Tour last campaign, take up their option by Friday's deadline.

Otherwise, Leaney will need to go to pre-qualifying.

"If I have to go to stage two (pre-qualifying), it means missing the Volvo Masters," Leaney said. "And that will be a big decision to make.

"I've never played Valderrama, and I want to play there."

Leaney pulled out of qualifying for the US Tour last year because of the September 11 attacks and missed his card the year before by one stroke.

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