Madrid, Oct 24: Second placed Sergio Garcia shot a sparkling opening 64 which included two eagles, a holed approach shot for an eagle two at the 406 yard fifth and a 20 foot putt for eagle three on the 540 yard seventh. The 23-year-old dropped a shot at the eighth but this was followed by three birdies in a row from the ninth. The Spaniard made a bogey at the 16th, but birdies at the 17th and 18th ensured he stayed one shot behind Casey. Padraig Harrington, currently in third spot on the Volvo Order of Merit and, like leader Casey also looking for his third win of the season, also found a liking for the par threes on the Club de Campo layout, birdieing all four of them on his way to a 65 and a share of third spot with Robert Karlsson. Leading scores after the first round of the Madrid Open golf tournament at the par-71, 6,967 yard Club de Campo course on Thursday (Britain unless stated, a-denotes amateur): 63 Paul Casey 64 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 65 Robert Karlsson (Sweden), Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 66 Thomas Levet (France) 67 Gregory Havret (France), Manuel Moreno (Spain), Nick O'Hern (Australia), Jarmo Sandelin (Sweden), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Barry Lane, Peter Fowler (Australia), Miles Tunnicliff, a-Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 68 Stephen Dodd, Ignacio Garrido (Spain) Mark Roe, Steen Tinning (Denmark), Lee Westwood, Ian Woosnam 69 Warren Bennett, Nick Dougherty, Bradley Dredge, Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark), Soren Hansen (Denmark), Miguel Angel Martin (Spain), Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands), Paul Lawrie, Andrew Coltart, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain), Martin Maritz (South Africa), Marten Olander (Sweden), Patrik Sjoland (Sweden), Stephen Gallacher 70 Brian Davis, Alastair Forsyth, Phillip Golding, Simon Hurd, Mark James, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Jarrod Moseley (Australia), Peter O'Malley (Australia), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Matthew Blackley


Bureau Report