Jonathan Lomas leads with opening 65

Jonathan Lomas shot a 5-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead Thursday over Gary Murphy and Mark Foster after the first round of the Mallorca Classic.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, the winner of this event two years ago, Paul Broadhurst, Sam Little, John Bickerton and Simon Khan were another stroke back after 67s. The favorite and defending champion Sergio Garcia shot 69.

Despite the distance of the 6,676-yard layout at Pula Golf Club, players found the course largely unchanged despite a partial redesign by Jose Maria Olazabal.

``The scores are about the same as the last two years,'' Olazabal said. ``It's a tough course with a lot of demanding shots.''

Many of the changes were made to increase the size of the greens.

``I don't think the changes made it tougher. I think they are fair,'' said Olazabal, who shot 69. ``You still have to hit good shots.''

Lomas declined interviews after the match, saying he would talk on Sunday. European Tour officials suggested he could face a fine for skipping post-match interviews.

Lomas' caddie told reporters he had only 25 putts, one for a 50-foot birdie on the 15th hole.

Murphy chipped in from 20 feet for a birdie at the 17th hole, his eighth hole, and rolled in a 12-foot putt for a birdie on his final hole.

``I need a top-two finish to get into Valderrama and I'm going for it,'' the Irishman said.

Murphy is 78th in the Order of Merit -- the European money list -- and needs to finish in the top 60 to play next week in the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Several players in the field are trying to cement their places in the top 115 on the money list, which allows them to keep their playing rights for next season.

Foster is one of them. Ranked No. 108, the Englishman needs a solid week.

``You try not to put pressure on yourself,'' he said.

European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam injured his shoulder on the fifth hole and withdrew on the 17th.

65 Jonathan Lomas

66 Mark Foster, Gary Murphy

67 Sam Little, Paul Broadhurst, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Simon Khan, John Bickerton

68 Klas Eriksson (Swe), David Park, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), Fredrik Henge (Swe), Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa), Mattias Eliasson (Swe), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Marten Olander (Swe)

69 Simon Hurd, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra), Peter Hanson (Swe), Benoit Teilleria (Fra), Scott Drummond, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa), Miles Tunnicliff, Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Mark Roe, Gregory Havret (Fra), Alastair Forsyth, Brad Kennedy (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Santiago Luna (Spa), Simon Wakefield, Jose Manuel Carriles (Spa), Carlos Del Moral (Spa)

70 Pelle Edberg (Swe), Peter Hedblom (Swe), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Robert Coles, Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Robert Rock, Ivo Giner (Spa), Stephen Scahill (Nzl), Leif Westerberg (Swe), Graeme Storm, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned), Paul Lawrie, David Lynn, Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Jean Van de Velde (Fra), Soren Hansen (Den), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Niki Zitny (Aut)

71 Marcel Siem (Ger), Markus Brier (Aut), David Carter, Nick Dougherty, Garry Houston, Andrew Oldcorn, Andrew Coltart, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Malcolm Mackenzie, Marcus Fraser (Aus), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Neil Cheetham, Johan Skold (Swe), Johan Axgren (Swe), Phillip Archer

72 Robert Karlsson (Swe), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Anders Hansen (Den), Damien McGrane, Stuart Little, Peter Fowler (Aus), Jamie Spence, Matthew Blackey, Steven O'Hara, Bradley Dredge, Christian Cevaer (Fra)

73 Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Andrea Maestroni (Ita), Christopher Hanell (Swe), Jamie Donaldson, Richard Finch, Ian Garbutt, Brett Rumford (Aus), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Martin Maritz (Rsa), Stephen Gallacher, Ben Mason, Henrik Stenson (Swe)

74 Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Karl Ableidinger (Aut), Raymond Russell, Philip Golding, Alvaro Salto (Spa), Richard Bland, David Griffiths

75 Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Alfredo Garcia (Spa), Jan-Are Larsen (Nor), Stuart Manley, Gary Emerson, Carlos Garcia (Spa), Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Fernando Roca (Spa)

76 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Lee Slattery

77 Diego Borrego (Spa), Simon Dyson

78 David Drysdale, Barry Lane

79 Mikko Ilonen (Fin), (x) Pedro Sureda (Spa)

83 (x) Bartoleme Mercant (Spa)

Ret: Ian Woosnam

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