Tom Lehman was given further proof today of the current strength in depth of the European Tour. Last year's American Ryder Cup captain, invited to take part in the Telecom Italian Open in Milan, sank a 165-yard seven-iron for an eagle two and returned a two-under-par 70.

But it did not even put him in the top 40 and it left him eight strokes off the pace. And that in an event featuring only three Europeans ranked in the world's top 100.

Swede Joakim Backstrom, only 447th in the rankings, broke the Tolcinasco course record and was only one stroke off the Tour's low round of the season with a 10-under 62.

The 29-year-old had two eagles and six birdies but will take only a one-shot lead over Austrian Markus Brier into the second round. Backstrom was not sure there would be any play after Wednesday's torrential rain. But he was sure glad there was.

"I had a 62 in practice last week, but that's my best round in a tournament," he said. "The greens are rolling superbly, so if you are within 10 feet you feel fairly confident that it is going to go in."

Lehman's eagle two came on the 433-yard 13th and made him five under for a five-hole stretch. But the 48-year-old former Open champion had played the first eight in two over and he finished with another bogey.

On the eve of the tournament he attended his first football match - AC Milan's drubbing of Manchester United.

"It was amazing - the emotion and the passion of the crowd was mind-blowing," he said. "As for my game, it's just so erratic. I saw some great golf from my partners, though."

France's Raphael Jacquelin, winner of the Asian Open in China last time out, returned a 66 and Francesco Molinari, who last year became the first home winner since 1980, would have matched that but for a closing bogey.

Brier won the China Open last month and he played the last 10 holes in eight under to push Japan's Taichi Teshima into third place.

Lehman, who has been suffering bad jet-lag so far, is one of four Americans in the field. Duffy Waldorf, his assistant at the K Club, had a 67, 1996 US Open champion Steve Jones was another on 70 and European Tour member Notah Begay managed only a 73.

Peter Lawrie leads the Irish challenge on four under after an opening round 68.  David Higgins and Gary Murphy finished one under while Paul McGinley is a shot further back on level par.