A double bogey on the penultimate hole cost South African Trevor Immelman the outright lead on the opening day of the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne yesterday.

Immelman finished the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Englishman Steve Webster and Australian Peter Lonard after matching rounds of six-under-par 65.

They were a shot clear of Colombian Camilo Vilegas, Australian Brad Lamb and another Englishman, John Binkerton.

Graeme McDowell and Gary Murphy opened with one under par 70s, while fellow Ireland's Damien McGrane shot 74.

Peter Lawrie is on one over par after only completing 14 holes yesterday. Tee-off times were delayed by two and a half hours to allow tournament organisers to clean up after the course was drenched by 24 hours of heavy rain.

Eight groups were still on the course when darkness began to fall and will complete their rounds this morning.

South African Ernie Els, chasing his fourth successive win in Australia's richest golf tournament, shot a course-record 60 in the first round last year but could only manage a one-over-par 72 this time around.

The world number three made three birdies in four holes on the way home but spoiled his card with four bogeys.

His countryman Immelman played the back nine first on a wet and windy day and went out in just 29 after making six birdies in seven holes.

The 25-year-old picked up another two shots on the way home to reach eight-under-par before he came unstuck after misjudging the wind at the par-three eighth hole.

He drilled a five-iron off the tee into a front bunker guarding the green and took a five to drop back to six-under.

Winner of the Australian Open and Australian PGA titles in November and December, Lonard collected three birdies on the front nine and another three coming back in a flawless round of 65 but was still not happy.

"I did not think I played great today but I got it around," Lonard said.

"I just put the ball in the right position, holed some putts, hit some good wedges close - particularly early on."

Englishman Steve Webster joined the two leaders at six-under after 12 holes. He slipped back to five-under with a bogey at 14 but picked up another shot on the par-four 16th to finish the day with a share at the top.

Vilegas made five birdies in his flawless round but Lamb and Binkerton both had up and down days. Binkerton made seven birdies and two bogeys while Lamb collected four birdies and a bogey and an eagle-two at the 304m fifth hole.

Colin Montgomerie also had a mixed day, with seven birdies and four bogeys, to finish in a group of eight players in the clubhouse at three-under.