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McGowan: driving display

First-round leaderboard: (GB & Ire. unless stated)

R McGowan -8
M Ruiz (Par) -8
M Foster -7
H Otto (SA) -7
M Warren -7

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Englishman Ross McGowan and Paraguay's Marco Ruiz share a one-stroke lead after day one of the Italian Open in Milan.

The pair both fired eight-under-par 64s at the Castello di Tolcinasco Golf and Country Club to head a chasing pack comprising England's Mark Foster, South Africa's Hennie Otto and Scotland's Marc Warren.

That trio in turn hold a one-stroke lead over eight players, whose number include France's Gregory Bourdy, Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson and Englishmen Steve Webster and Oliver Wilson.

Two-time major winner John Daly had a promising opening day which brought a five-under 67, his score placing him in a group of ten players.

Both the leaders were among the latter players to tee off, with 26-year-old McGowan picking up eight birdies in all, including four consecutive ones between the 13th and 16th holes.

Playing in his first full season on the European Tour, the 2006 English amateur champion reached the turn in 30 and ultimately completed a round that equalled his previous lowest.

Indeed, such was the Surrey native's prowess off the tee that playing partner Peter Baker was moved to comment: "That's the best display of driving I've since since Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam."

McGowan himself said: "On the important holes you have to drive well, but I also holed out well from 10 feet and in.

"The next goal is to try to secure my card for next season, then I'll take it from there."

Ruiz went one better with nine birdies - including three in the opening three holes. But the 33-year-old from Asuncion also bogeyed the par-five 12th.

He is ranked only 410th in the world, but won in Argentina in December and was leading for a while in the Spanish Open last Sunday before slipping back to 15th.

Rebound

Meanwhile, the 609th-ranked Daly, who hasn't finished in the top 10 of a tournament in three years, rebounded after missing the cut in Seville last week by actually leading midway through his round.

Daly started with six birdies and a bogey on his first 10 holes, then added another birdie and another bogey to finish the first round tied for 14th place.

"I moved the ball up in my stance and that was a good day," said Daly, who underwent stomach surgery last month.

"This is the healthiest I've been in more than a year - it was brutal with the pain and it's nice to have my swing back."

Meanwhile, Ryder Cup hopeful Nick Dougherty, playing just two days after his mother's funeral, managed a one-under 71.

The 25-year-old Liverpudlian, who chose to play this week because he said his mother wanted him to, said before his first round that he might score "67 or 87".

Dougherty was glad his score was far closer to the former, but he may well need a 69 on Friday just to make the halfway cut.

"I felt a bit emotional on the first tee and it was tough," he said. "It's just a weird feeling. I felt a bit cloudy all day.

"I've got to get on with it, though, because she will get in a huff. She will be gutted by that today."