CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Sept 2: Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garcia warmed up for this month's Ryder Cup with sparkling starts at the European Masters on Thursday.
Europe captain Bernhard Langer would have been delighted as Jimenez, winner of last week's BMW International, led the tournament with a faultless six-under-par 65.
Garcia, who has a home nearby, shot a 66 to share second place with Swede Peter Hedblom, Marc Farry of France and Britain's Peter Baker. Langer will be particularly pleased as one of his wild cards, 26-year-old British Cup rookie Luke Donald, was also challenging strongly just two strokes off the lead.
Jimenez is seeking his fifth win in a remarkable season in which he sealed his Ryder Cup berth three months ago and has climbed to fourth on the European money-list. Garcia's seven birdies were the sort of form Langer is looking for when the 24-year-old plays his expected five matches against the United States at Oakland Hills.
Donald, sharing a house with Garcia for the week, denied himself the lead by dropping three shots in two holes, double-bogeying the fifth with a poor chip and a three-putt. However, the Briton was otherwise happy with a round that was two shots better than his playing partner, defending champion Ernie Els.
Hedblom has finished second this year, but Baker, a 1993 Ryder Cup player, has struggled with a best finish of eighth, while Farry's start was even more of a surprise as he has lost his full European Tour card.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES:
65 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain).
66 - Peter Baker, Marc Farry (France), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Peter Hedblom (Sweden).
67 - Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Luke Donald (Britain), Peter Fowler (Australia), Martin Maritz (South Africa), Steven O'Hara (Britain), Carlos Rodiles (Spain), Simon Wakefield (Britain).
68 - Jesus Maria Arruti (Spain), Paul Broadhurst (Britain), Christian Cevaer (France), Simon Dyson (Britain), James Kingston (South Africa), Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands), Cesar Monasterio (Argentina), Wade Ormsby (Australia), Eduardo Romero (Argentina), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Jamie Spence (Britain).
69 - Andrew Coltart (Britain), Bradley Dredge (Britain), Ernie Els (South Africa), Darren Fichardt (South Africa), Miguel Angel Martin (Spain), Graeme McDowell (Britain), Gary Orr (Britain), Marc Pendaries (France), Tino Schuster (Germany), Craig Spence (Australia).
70 - Fredrik Andersson (Netherlands), Matthew Blackey, Diego Borrego (Spain), Michael Campbell (New Zealand), Robert Coles (Britain), Brian Davis (Britain), Mark Foster (Britain), Philip Golding (Britain), Paul Lawrie (Britain), Sandy Lyle (Britain), Paul Marantz (Australia), Per Nyman (Sweden), Dean Robertson (Britain), Jarmo Sandelin (Sweden), Stephen Scahill (New Zealand), Sven Struver (Germany), Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Denmark), Anthony Wall (Britain). -Reuters
