Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez reeled off a five-birdie blitz on his second nine to share the early lead with Welshman Phil Price in the first round of the Benson and Hedges International Open on Thursday.

Both carded opening seven-under-par rounds of 65, even though the Spaniard said he would just as soon have been at a Ferrari club meeting in Spain.

He owns a red Ferrari. "I must admit I was thinking about a Ferrari Club meeting in Jerez today. I'm a member of the club but I always seem to miss out on the get-togethers because of golf!" he said.

Jimenez putted brilliantly on his homeward nine for a loop of 31, his five birdies coming from the third to the seventh holes on a testing day of wet and breezy conditions.

"I putted really well on the second nine and I've been playing well for a while now. The best parts of my game are my tee shots and my approaches to the green and the putting really made the difference for me today," Jimenez said.

He nearly made it six birdies in a row but lipped out with a chip from the fringe on the eighth, to his obvious annoyance.

Jimenez, already the winner of the Turespana Masters in Spain earlier this year, set the early pace but was joined half an hour later by Price.

The Welshman, 15th on last year's European Order of Merit, collected seven birdies in halves of 32 and 33.

"Last year, I achieved all the objectives I set for myself and then I got a little complacent towards the end of the year. This year, I've set myself higher targets," Price said.

"One of my goals is to play in the U.S. PGA and to play in the last two world golf championship events to class myself in the highest arena."

Pre-tournament favourite Colin Montgomerie pronounced himself entirely happy with his opening 68, joint third when he finished with Swede Per-Ulrik Johansson and England's Gary Emerson.

"I feel a four-under round here today is a good score and I'm very happy. It wasn't easy out there - it was quite cold this morning and then it became very wet and quite breezy," Montgomerie said after hitting virtually every fairway and green in regulation.

The Scot, who has set his sights on winning two of the next three events on the European Tour, was suitably impressed with the performances of both Jimenez and Sandy Lyle, who opened with a 69.

"Jimenez is playing very well at the moment and he holes out well. He'll be in our Ryder Cup team and he's had a big number of single putts so far this season.

"As for Sandy, I think he has more talent than most on this tour. He has the ability to be a world-beater, as he's shown in the past, and hopefully he can now get his confidence back as well," Montgomerie said.

Spain's Francis Valera carded a 69 after making an albatross-two at the 533-yard par-five 11th. He holed out from 247 yards with a three iron.

England's Justin Rose, looking to make his first professional cut in 19 events, returned a level-par 72.

  Reuters