Former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin, whose last trip to San Roque was to save his European tour career five months ago, burst into the joint lead when the Spanish Open resumed today.

When the 38-year-old Swede lost his card in Majorca at the end of last season his instant reaction was: "The pain is over -  a new life as a taxi driver begins."

But Sandelin, part of the 1999 Ryder Cup side beaten in Boston, finished 10th on his first visit to the school for 12 years and he has already had two top-10 finishes this year.

Having opened with a four-under-par 68, he birdied his first three holes on setting off again and at seven under was part of a five-way tie with two more Ryder Cup men in Miguel Angel Jimenez and Niclas Fasth and also overnight pacesetters Graeme Storm and Jose-Felipe Lima.

Peter Lawrie and Stephen Browne, both on five-under after their first round, are among the later starters as is Colin Montgomerie and Seve Ballesteros' 25-year-old nephew Raul, who was nine under and four clear after 16 holes of his first round before finishing bogey, double bogey for a 66.