Spaniards lead the way after first round

Sergio Garcia showed the consistency that has lifted his game this year with a four-under-par 67 in difficult conditions to share the Volvo Masters lead with Spanish compatriot Jose Manuel Lara.

Having won twice on the US Tour earlier this season and then taken the Mallorca Classic title two weeks ago, Garcia set up a chance of successive European Tour victories.

A strong wind billowed up many a score at Valderrama but Garcia's five-birdie round after a bogey at the third, vouched for the improvement in his short-game this year and the Spaniard's standing at world number 10.

"I misjudged one chip but otherwise I can't really think of any really bad shots that I hit out there today," said the 24-year-old.

"I really enjoy (it) when a course is tough because you don't have to be thinking you have to make every single putt to be up there.

"Some courses, if you don't pretty much make every putt you don't have a chance of winning."

Garcia assessed his improvement after making adjustments to his game this year, adding: "Last year my long game was about eight out of ten and my short game two out of ten.

"This year my long game is about nine, maybe nine and a half, and my short game is the best it's ever been, I'd say a seven."

The lethal long 17th, Valderrama's most famous hole, took its toll, with Britain's locally-based Miles Tunnicliff running up a nine.

But Garcia said he always looked forward to playing it, confessing that the fourth, where he took a nine himself two years ago, was his danger hole.

Joint leader Lara's troublesome hole was the fifth where he was stung by a wasp, the second such incident on the tour in two weeks after South African Trevor Immelman suffered last week in Madrid.

Like Immelman, Lara was stung into taking the early first-round lead as he picked up five birdies in eight holes soon after his mishap.

"It took me a couple of holes to walk off the sting but it somehow seemed to wake me up and the birdies started to come," said Lara.

He is looking to beat his best finish on tour of second in last year's Italian Open and also improve on his tied third in this year's Qatar Masters.

Brian Davis and Alastair Forsyth share third place after 68s with Luke Donald, their fellow Briton and Garcia's Ryder Cup team mate, tied for fifth a further stroke back.

Donald also shared the best performance for the tricky back nine of four-under 32 with Lara.

None of the three players trying to finish second on Europe's money-list behind the absent Ernie Els, broke par.

Order of merit number three Padraig Harrington had the best return shooting a 72, fourth-placed Miguel Angel Jimenez carded a 73 while Thomas Levet in fifth spot shot a 75.

Colin Montgomerie blamed a 75 on leaving too many of his putts short on the slow greens.

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