Fast start for Sergio

Garcia: eight-under-par 63

First round leaderboard:
S Garcia (Spa) -8 (18)
M Jonzon (Swe) -7 (18)
R Allenby (Aus) -7 (11)
E Canonica (Ita) -6 (18)
JM Olazabal (Spa) -6 (18)

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Defending champion Sergio Garcia held a one-shot lead after a wind-affected first day of the Castello Masters in Spain.

Playing on what is his home course in Castellon, Garcia fired a superb eight-under-par 63 to finish the day a stroke clear of the rest of the field.

However, a number of players had still to complete their opening rounds before darkness fell as proceedings were halted for three hours around lunchtime because of gusty winds.

As one of the earlier starters Garcia was fortunate to ensure he got through all 18 of his holes, but no fewer than 59 fell victim to the strong gusts and will now have holes to make up on Friday.

One of those is Australian Robert Allenby who sits in second place overnight having raced to seven-under through 11 holes.

He is level with Swede Michael Jonzon, who did finish his round, while Italian Emanuele Canonica and double Masters champion, Jose Maria Olazabal are on six-under after rounds of 65.

It was a welcome return to form for Olazabal who finished strongly with birdies at three of his last four holes.

However, it was not such a good day for fellow major champion Angel Cabrera who, having flown in from Bermuda having played in the Grand Slam of Golf earlier in the week, missed his tee-time.

The Argentine's frustration was compounded by the fact that he would have been okay had play been suspended some 15 minutes earlier when the winds struck, but his playing partners, Martin Kaymer and Gonzalo Fernando-Castano, had just teed off by the time officials called a halt.

On his return from injury Kaymer had reached four-under through 12 holes at the close to join a six-man group that also includes Justin Rose (11 holes).

Like Cabrera, but for a very different reason, Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was left wishing the hold-up had come sooner.

Monty upset

Montgomerie reached four-under, but then had three bogeys in four holes. When told by an official after the third of them that conditions were too bad to continue he commented indignantly: "That's great. The later starters can walk off and we've just played in it. That's okay, is it?"

The Scot eventually signed for a one-under-par 70 having returned after the extended weather break.

But that is some way of the pace of Garcia who once again relished the opportunity to take on a lay-out he has played since his youth.

Without a top-three finish this year and down from second to tenth in the world, the 29-year-old covered the back nine first in a six-under 29.

He then holed a seven-footer on the first, chipped to within three feet of the flag at the long fourth and on the resumption birdied the 553-yard eighth.

His only blemish came with a bogey at the ninth - his last - and afterwards he stated: "You never like to finish like that, but other than that it was pretty solid and I made some nice putts.

"We get a wind like that only three or four days a year - and usually on those days we chill at home!"