Aa Saint Omer Open 2006

Felipe Aguilar, the first Chilean to play on the European Tour, made his bid for a one-year exemption in his rookie year on the Challenge Tour, when he took a one-shot lead in the St Omer Open on Thursday.

Aguilar's first round five-under-par 66, which came after a two-hour rain delay, took him ahead of South African Jean Hugo and Sweden's Klas Eriksson, whose rounds finished late in the day.

Aguilar, 31, inspired by Argentine Eduardo Romero, gave up his job running two companies he owns in Chile to come to Europe. He can seal his debut in Europe by claiming playing rights for the rest of this year and next year if he can win the French event shared by the main tour and the Challenge Tour.

"My wife did not like me going to the office and told me I had to play golf," Aguilar told Reuters.

"So I decided on a four-year plan to play in Europe and this is my fourth year.

"It isn't hard being the only Chilean because there are so many South Americans on tour and we are all together.

"We have a player on the senior tour and another on the LPGA, but Eduardo Romero was the one who opened the door for all of us."

Argentine Cesar Monastario, Spain's Juan Parron, Briton David Dixon, the 2001 British Open's best amateur and Frenchmen, Adrien Mork and Aguilar's playing-partner Cedric Menut, share fourth place, two strokes off the lead.