Golf:Teeing off in his first event as a pro with Colin Montgomerie as a playing partner, 17-year-old Matteo Manassero could be forgiven an attack of nerves but ended his baptism just three off the pace at the Italian Open.
Manassero, who last month became the youngest player to make a cut at the US Masters, shot a two under par 70 for his first round. Marcus Fraser, winner of the Ballantine's Championship, Graeme Storm, Paul Lawrie and Robert Rock were the early leaders, all carding five under 67s to be a stroke ahead of the field.
On three under, the in-form Gareth Maybin is tied for ninth and heads the Irish challenge. Darren Clarke dropped two shots early in his round with bogeys on the second and fourth holes but fought back to finish on one over.
Kilkenny’s Gary Murphy will struggle to make the halfway cut after an ugly round containing six bogeys left him five over. Michael Hoey retired from the event after eight holes.
Manassero, meanwhile, was quite at home.
"It was a really steady round and I really liked how I played today," Manassero told reporters. "I didn't putt really great but then I didn't have that many close chances.
"I was a little nervous on the first tee, like always at big tournaments but fortunately I'm getting used to it."
Manassero played alongside Europe's Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie and the young Italian added: "It was nice talking to Colin. We got to know each other."
Their conversations were largely restricted to the tee because the eight-times European number one was rarely on a fairway as he slumped to a 76.
"He was very impressive and he has a good future," Montgomerie said of his playing partner. Of his own performance, the 46-year-old added: "My golf is non-explainable."
Europe's captain is struggling to make the halfway cut, lying nine strokes behind the leading quartet. Fraser has returned to Europe following the second tour win of his career, achieved last month in Korea.
"I'm trying to keep the same swing thoughts that stood me in good stead in Korea," he said.
Lawrie, the 1999 British Open winner, looked as though he would lead on his own after holing three 30-foot putts from off the green but dropped a shot at the 17th late in the day.
Manassero had to wait to make his professional debut when the morning's play was delayed by two hours while the Royal Park course was mopped up following heavy rain the previous day.
The delay meant the first round will have to be completed on Friday morning.
First round scores
*Six groups (including Ireland's Simon Thornton) are still to finish their first rounds
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, Irishin bold, par 72):
67Robert Rock, Paul Lawrie, Marcus Fraser (Aus), Graeme Storm
68David Drysdale, Hennie Otto (Rsa), Stephen Dodd, David Horsey
69Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Marco Soffietti (Ita), Peter Whiteford, Ake Nilsson (Rsa), Gareth Maybin, Pelle Edberg (Swe), Oliver Fisher, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Martin Ureta (USA)
70Peter Baker, Nick Dougherty, Matteo Manassero (Ita), Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Andrew Coltart, Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Steven O'Hara, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Robert Coles, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Lee Slattery, Thomas Bjorn (Den), Ignacio Garrido (Spa)
71Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Carlos Del Morral (Spa), Anthony Wall, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Alastair Forsyth, Benjamin Hebert (Fra), Christian Cevaer (Fra), Chris Wood, Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Marcel Siem (Ger), Peter Gustafsson (Swe), Sam Hutsby, Carl Suneson (Spa), Mark F Haastrup (Den), David Dixon, Phillip Archer, Thomas Levet (Fra), Barry Lane
72Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Steve Webster, Christian Nilsson (Swe), Richard McEvoy, Phillip Price, Andrew Dodt (Aus), Mark Brown (Nzl), Stefano Reale (Ita), Jamie Elson, Julien Clement (Swi), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Miles Tunnicliff, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita), Edoardo Molinari (Ita)
73Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Sion E Bebb, Robert Dinwiddie, Joost Luiten (Ned), Andrew McArthur, Oskar Henningsson (Swe), Michele Reale (Ita), Bradley Dredge, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Andrea Maestroni (Ita), Richie Ramsay, Henrik Nystrom (Swe), Rhys Davies, Darren Clarke, Paul Broadhurst, Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Stephen Gallacher, James Ruth, Ross McGowan
74Andrew Tampion (Aus), Shiv Kapur (Ind), David Howell, Rafael Echenique (Arg), Scott Drummond, Julien Quesne (Fra), Simon Khan, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor), Stephan Gross Jnr (Ger), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Nino Bertasio (Ita)
75Gary Clark, Gary Boyd, John Parry, James Kingston (Rsa), Benn Barham, Julien Guerrier (Fra), James Morrison, Andrea Perrino (Ita), Gregory Havret (Fra)
76Chris Gane, Simon Dyson, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Gregory Molteni (Ita), Costantino Rocca (Ita), Sam Little, Anton Haig (Rsa), Andrea Bolognesi (Ita), Colin Montgomerie, David Lynn, Rick Kulacz (Aus), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Tano Goya (Arg), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Peter O'Malley (Aus)
77 Gary Murphy, Paolo Terreni (Ita), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Markus Brier (Aut)
78Marco Ruiz (Par), Roope Kakko (Fin), Steven Jeppesen (Swe)
79Andrew Butterfield, Niccolo Quintarelli (Ita), Marc Warren, Paul Waring
80Gary Lockerbie, Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe), Christoph Gunther (Ger)
81Brett Rumford (Aus), Mark Foster