MALLORCA (Spain), Oct 20: It was a day of contrasting fortunes for some of the European Tour’s stars Thursday as England’s Jonathan Lomas carded an impressive five-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead at the Mallorca Classic.

Lomas, looking for an evasive second career EPGA title after his Czech Open victory in 1996, birdied the last hole at the Pula Golf Club to lead fellow Englishman Mark Foster and Irishman Gary Murphy by a stroke.

Welshman Ian Woosnam had a painful day on the course meanwhile and was forced to retire.

Playing his final tournament of the season, the 47-year-old injured his shoulder after his tee shot at the fifth and played on till the 17th before calling it a day when he hit a shot from the rough out of bounds.

“This was my last tournament of the year and it’s a disappointing way to finish. I’ll go and have a rest now,” said Woosnam, who finished a respectable fifth at last week’s Madrid Open.

“I hurt my shoulder on the fifth tee - just hitting it too hard when you’re too old.”

The Mallorca Classic is in its third year and has twice been won by Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garica.

Jimenez, whose solid back nine was marred by two birdies including at the 18th, finished the closer of the two to Lomas on three under 67.

Garica, the reigning champion who is bidding to finish the season in the top five - which he may do if he wins here and gets the right result at the Volvo Masters next week - could only finish with a one-under 69.

The Spaniard’s round contained only one bogey, at the par-three second, but he could only manage two birdies to Jimenez’s six.

First round scores:

66 - Mark Foster, Gary Murphy

67 - Sam Little, Paul Broadhurst, Miguel Angel Jimenez

68 - Klas Eriksson, David Park, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Fredrik Henge, Jesus Maria Arruti

69 - Simon Hurd, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jean-Francois Remesy, Peter Hanson, Benoit Teilleria, Scott Drummond, Miguel Angel Martin, Miles Tunnicliff, Soren Kjeldsen, Mark Roe, Gregory Havret, Alastair Forsyth

70 - Pelle Edberg, Peter Hedblom, Maarten Lafeber, Robert Coles, Alessandro Tadini, Robert Rock, Ivo Giner, Stephen Scahill, Leif Westerberg

71 - Marcel Siem, Markus Brier, David Carter, Nick Dougherty, Garry Houston, Andrew Oldcorn, Andrew Coltart

72 - Robert Karlsson, Martin Erlandsson, Anders Hansen, Damien McGrane, Stuart Little

73 - Darren Fichardt, Andrea Maestroni, Christopher Hanell, Jamie Donaldson, Richard Finch

74 - Mads Vibe-Hastrup, Karl Ableidinger, Raymond Russell

75 - Patrik Sjoland, Ignacio Garrido, Alfredo Garcia

76 - Francesco Molinari

77 - Diego Borrego

78 - David Drysdale, Barry Lane

79 - Mikko Ilonen

Ret: Ian Woosnam.—AFP