MELBOURNE, Feb 5: Ernie Els fired a European Tour record-equalling 12-under-par 60 to hold a four-stroke lead after the opening round of the Classic on Thursday.

"It was one of those special rounds," said the South African world number three, who carded 11 birdies, one bogey and an eagle.

"I was really trying to shoot 59 after the 14th hole (at 12-under-par). I made birdie there and it was all on.

"I can complain but I am not going to. I hit a lot of great shots and made a lot of good putts. "But a 60 at Royal Melbourne I can put that in a book. I'll be talking about that round for a long time."

Defending champion Els, bidding to become the first player to win a hat trick of Heineken Classic titles, turned at seven under par after firing five birdies and an eagle on the par-five ninth hole.

The three-times major winner picked up another six birdies on the back nine, missing a 25-foot putt from off the edge of the green for birdie on the 18th after a bogey-five at the 15th.

The 34-year-old Els beat the previous course record of 62 set by New Zealand's Richard Lee in 2002.

"I was 12-under through 14 holes, and I just needed one more coming in," said Els, who required only 25 putts.

"It was definitely playing on my mind. I got close (to breaking 60). Four other players, Jamie Spence, Bernhard Langer, Darren Clarke and Fredrik Jacobson, have carded 12-under-par rounds of 60 on the European Tour. There have also been seven other rounds of 60 in the tour's history.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell, winner of the Heineken Classic in 2000 and 2001, launched his bid for a third title with a flawless eight-under-par 64, including eight birdies, to finish second on the leaderboard.

Campbell's fellow Kiwi Mahal Pearce, German Tobias Dier and Australians Wade Ormsby and Craig Carmichael were a further shot behind in third place.

Els's playing partner, Australian Adam Scott, was one of five players on six-under-par 66, and six-times major winner Nick Faldo birdied his last two holes for a 68, the same score as fellow Briton Paul Casey.

Campbell won the $1.52 million Heineken Classic, co-sanctioned by the European and Australasian Tours, when it was played at The Vines course, near Perth in Western Australia.

The tournament was switched to the Royal Melbourne Club, venue of the 1998 President's Cup, in 2002.

Leading first round scores (Australian unless stated, a denotes amateur):

60 - Ernie Els (South Africa).

64 - Michael Campbell (New Zealand).

65 - Mahal Pearce (New Zealand), Wade Ormsby, Craig Carmichael, Tobias Dier (Germany).

66 - Adam Scott, Peter Fowler, Peter O'Malley, Paul Sheehan, Richard Green.

67 - Peter Hanson (Sweden), Peter Hedblom (Sweden), Craig Spence, Craig Parry, a-Nick Flanagan, Gareth Paddison (New Zealand), Gary Evans (Britain). -Reuters