Sotogrande, Oct 31: A further two shots back in third was Spaniard's Carlos Rodiles, with twice U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern tied for fourth on 70.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, who shared last year's title with Bernhard Langer after the two players had squared the first two extra holes in gathering gloom, was among a group of eight on 71, including Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Sergio Garcia.
However Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, pre-tournament favourite this week in the absence of newly crowned European number one Ernie Els, was struggling at five over with two holes to play.
Despite playing in the more difficult conditions of the afternoon, Jacobson reeled off four birdies to reach the turn in 32. He then sandwiched five more around his solitary bogey at the 15th, where he found a greenside bunker, to vault to the top of the leaderboard.


Leading first round scores from the 3.5 million euros Volvo Masters at the par-72, 7,005-yard Valderrama Golf club on Thursday (Britain unless stated): 64 - Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 66 - Anders Hansen (Denmark) 68 - Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 70 - Nick O'Hern (Australia), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 71 - John Bickerton, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Brian Davis, Niclas Fasth (Sweden), Stephen Gallacher, Sergio Garcia (Spain), Colin Montgomerie 72 - Bradley Dredge, Peter Fowler (Australia), Peter Lawrie (Ireland), Adam Scott (Australia) 73 - Darren Fichardt (South Africa), Mathias Gronberg (Sweden), David Howell, Jarrod Moseley (Australia), Greg Owen, Eduardo Romero (Argentina), Justin Rose 74 - Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands), Gary Evans, Nick Faldo, Kenneth Ferrie, Soren Hansen (Denmark), Raphael Jacquelin (France), Robert Karlsson (Sweden), Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe), Gary Murphy (Ireland), Ian Poulter.


Bureau Report