Simon Dyson leads on windy day - Estoril Open de Portugal 2007

Gusts up to 48kph (30mph) made putting a lottery but last year's double tour winner included a 20-foot eagle putt in a four-under 67 to earn a one-shot lead.

Fellow countryman Stephen Gallacher, who bogeyed the last hole, shared second place with South African Louis Oosthuizen and rookie Ross McGowan of Britain.

On a leaderboard dominated by Britons, holder Paul Broadhurst, Barry Lane and Nick Dougherty were two shots off the pace.

Anticipating the wind would cause difficulty, European Tour officials have not cut the greens since Tuesday but many of the players still suffered putting horrors.

"We all had a few putts that could have made us look stupid and if the greens had been cut we might not have been able to play," Dyson told reporters.

"It was a matter of keeping your head."

Dyson, winner of the 2006 Indonesian and Dutch Opens, is targeting a place in the world's top-50 and the European Tour's top-20.

"With a little bit of luck I might have had two more wins already this season," said Dyson, who is 75th in the world and 27th in Europe.

McGowan's 68 included an eagle-two on the 348-yard 11th where the 24-year-old used the strong wind to cut the corner before sinking a four-foot putt.

Broadhurst, looking for a third successive Portuguese Open title, said: "It's been a nightmare out there on the greens".

Lane, whose victory hopes were wrecked two years ago when he took a five-over-par nine on the 18th in the final round, said: "It (the course) owes me one".

Among those suffering in the conditions was Briton Robert Rock, who ran up an 11 at the par-five eighth on the way to a 79.

There were also three nines, several eights and a glut of sevens in the opening round.