Former champion Alvaro Quiros was part of a seven-way tie for the lead in the first round of the Portugal Masters.
The Spaniard, who won at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course in 2008, recovered well from two early bogeys to sign for a six under par 65, the same score as Chilean Felipe Aguilar, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, German Max Kieffer, Englishmen David Lynn and Graeme Storm and Irishman Simon Thornton.
Nine players were a stroke back at five under after a day of perfect conditions on Portugal’s Algarve.
“The putting was beautiful today,” said Quiros, who recently moved to nearby Vilamoura. “That was maybe the key, because that’s the only difference between an average score and a good score, and that’s the only thing I’ve been missing.”
Quiros returned to action in the spring following wrist surgery, and recently has been showing signs of rediscovering his best form, particularly at the Open d’Italia LINDT, where he was tied eighth.
“This year has been a very tough year for me,” he added. “But I’m shooting better scores, and today was the typical example. I was two over after five holes, and I fought to come back. I’m happy to be here again.”
There is much to play for in the €2million Portugal Masters, as it is the penultimate tournament on the International Schedule before the inaugural Final Series – four lucrative events culminating in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, for which only the top 60 in The Race to Dubai qualify.
It is the second to last chance for those currently outside the top 110 to guarantee their playing rights for 2014, and former Ryder Cup player Soren Hansen (143rd) and Chile’s Mark Tullo (115th) did their hopes no harm by opening with a pair of 66s.
ENDS
Round 1 scores
65 D Lynn (Eng) , A Quiros (Esp) , G Storm (Eng) , F Aguilar (Chi) , M Kieffer (Ger) , S Thornton (Irl) , J Donaldson (Wal) ,
66 M Siem (Ger) , H Otto (RSA) , B Wiesberger (Aut) , C Wood (Eng) , M Tullo (Chi) , S Jamieson (Sco) , A Sullivan (Eng) , S Hansen (Den) , J Quesne (Fra) ,
67 V Dubuisson (Fra) , R Fisher (Eng) , T Fleetwood (Eng) , D Horsey (Eng) , C Doak (Sco) , P Waring (Eng) , M Baldwin (Eng) , F Andersson Hed (Swe) , S Benson (Eng) , R Coles (Eng) , A Cañizares (Esp) , J Lara (Esp) , E Pepperell (Eng) ,
68 A Wall (Eng) , N Colsaerts (Bel) , M Kaymer (Ger) , M Hoey (Nir) , M Manassero (Ita) , J Luiten (Ned) , F Molinari (Ita) ,
69 D Willett (Eng) , G Fdez-Castaño (Esp) , P Lawrie (Sco) , D Howell (Eng) , S Kjeldsen (Den) , A Hansen (Den) , P Larrazábal (Esp) , J Walters (RSA) , J Gonnet (Fra) , R Bland (Eng) , A Hartø (Den) , R Derksen (Ned) , E De La Riva (Esp) , J Campillo (Esp) , J Van Zyl (RSA) ,
70 G Mulroy (RSA) , M Nixon (Eng) , D McGrane (Irl) , M Foster (Eng) , P Jun Sub (Kor) , J Edfors (Swe) , T Lewis (Eng) , A Noren (Swe) , R Santos (Por) , O Fisher (Eng) , R Ramsay (Sco) , G Havret (Fra) , K Horne (RSA) , S Gallacher (Sco) , K Broberg (Swe) , S Lowry (Irl) , S Dyson (Eng) ,
71 T Aiken (RSA) , T Levet (Fra) , D Higgins (Irl) , C Paisley (Eng) , S Webster (Eng) , R Wattel (Fra) , R Jacquelin (Fra) , C Lee (Sco) , M Carlsson (Swe) , B Stone (RSA) , D Drysdale (Sco) , M Jiménez (Esp) , S Wakefield (Eng) , R Green (Aus) , P McGinley (Irl) , M Madsen (Den) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , R Rock (Eng) , R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) , L Slattery (Eng) ,
72 R Gonzalez (Arg) , A Kaleka (Fra) , S Henry (Sco) , A Dodt (Aus) , N Henriques (Por) , M Delpodio (Ita) , E Kofstad (Nor) , J Morrison (Eng) , J Lima (Por) , M Warren (Sco) , J Olazábal (Esp) , R Melo Gouveia (am) (Por) , J Carlota (am) (Por) ,
73 M Lafeber (Ned) , C Cévaër (Fra) , P Figueiredo (Por) , G Lockerbie (Eng) , A Tadini (Ita) , N Fasth (Swe) , L Gagli (Ita) , T Jaidee (Tha) , S Chowrasia (Ind) ,
74 A Rosado (Por) , P Whiteford (Sco) , T Björn (Den) ,
75 F Zanotti (Par) , E Grillo (Arg) , T Cruz (Por) , B Åkesson (Swe) , P Price (Wal) , H Santos (Por) , G Maybin (Nir) , M Wiegele (Aut) , R Finch (Eng) ,
77 P Lawrie (Irl) ,
78 I Garrido (Esp) ,
79 J Hansen (Den) , D Van Der Walt (RSA) ,
