Dane off to Castello flyer

Kjeldsen: one-shot lead

First round leaderboard:
(GB & Ire unless stated)
S Kjeldsen (Den) -7
A Cabrera (Arg) -6
R Finch -6
I Garrido (Spa) -6
P Hanson (Swe) -6

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Soren Kjeldsen opened a one-shot lead after the first round of the Castello Masters with a 64 seeing him storm to the top of the leaderboard on seven-under-par.

The Dane stands one clear of a group of four players; 2007 US Open champion Angel Cabrera, Swede Peter Hanson, England's Richard Finch and Ignacio Garrido of Spain.

Tournament host Sergio Garcia is two back of the lead after an opening 66 while playing partner and invitee Camilo Villegas shot a one-under-par 70.

Another player to shoot 66 was double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal who continued his comeback from a long injury lay-off in encouraging style.

Fellow Spaniard Ignacio Garrido also finished on five-under, while winner of last week's Portugal Masters, Alvaro Quiros, was a shot further adrift on four-under having dropped two shots in his final three holes.

Henrik Stenson, needing victory this week to keep alive his hopes of winning the Order of Merit, endured a miserable start on the Costa Azahar and, following a three-over-par 74, looks to have blown any chance he had of finishing the season as European number one.

It was Kjeldsen who coped best with the damp and overcast conditions at the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo near Valencia as he produced eight birdies and just a single bogey to assume the early lead.

The Dane, who began his round at the tenth tee, made the ideal start as he birdied his first hole and had moved to four-under by the 16th with further birdies at 13, 15 and 16.

Solid

His only dropped shot of the round followed at the par-four 17th, but he regained his momentum with back-to-back birdies at two and three and two more at seven and eight ensured a most satisfying round for the 33-year-old.

"It was a very solid round. I'm hitting it pretty straight especially with my short irons," Kjeldsen stated afterwards.

"My plan is just to keep playing the same and trust in myself.

"There is a long way to go but today was a great start."

Tournament favourite Garcia, who is hosting the event at the club he played as a boy and where his father is still the professional, strung together three closing birdies to give his opening round a much more promising look.

Garcia finishes in style

Two bogeys had threatened to undermine his progress, but he finished in some style to boost his hopes although admitted there was room for improvement.

"Scoring-wise it was good but I know I need to play a little better," declared the Spaniard.

"It feels good playing at home this week. It's good fun. There has been a lot of build-up to it and it's finally here and I was a little nervous this morning."