Local favourite Markus Brier leads by one

Austrian Markus Brier delighted his many friends in a sizeable gallery in his home open on Thursday by first holing in one at Fontana club and then birdying the last to take a one-stroke lead.

Brier's Austrian Open first-round six-under-par 65 took him a shot in front of German Sven Struver, Jorge Benedetti of Colombia and Britons Simon Dyson and Oliver Whiteley.

To set him on course for a maiden European Tour victory and a remarkable hat-trick in the event, the 37-year-old from nearby Vienna aced the 158-yard 11th with a seven-iron, winning himself a $20,000-dollar car in the process.

He celebrated his second hole in one on the tour by immediately adding a birdie and took the lead by getting up and down from a bunker at the last from seven feet.

Brier has won the event twice before on the Challenge Tour and now he is looking to do the same on the main European Tour in front of his home crowd.

"I know half of them by name and it's hard not to say hello to them all," Brier said.

"It would be wonderful to win at my home; we'll have to see how my nerves are on Sunday."

Earlier, Colin Montgomerie rubber-stamped his return to form by firing his fifth successive score in the 60s, following up his four rounds that earned him fourth place in the Wales Open with a 67 to be two shots off the lead.

"My fifth score in the 60s in a row and I'm delighted," said Montgomerie, whose form is timely before the U.S. Open next week.

"It was five scores in the late 70s a month ago and I had a very poor March, April and May but my confidence is flooding back now."

Struver, playing on a sponsor invitation, is also enjoying a return to form. The three-times tour winner, who plays on the Challenge Tour now, is determined to get his card back this year after losing it in 2003.