David Higgins equalled the par of 72 in the opening round of the European Tour School at San Roque in Spain yesterday. On the same course his fellow Irishmen, Philip Walton and Gary Murphy, had 74s while at Sotogrande Paddy Gribben, like Higgins, shot a level 72.

Higgins was six shots behind the Swedish pace-setter Magnus Persson, who fired a 66 at San Roque, and Englishman Matthew Cort led the way at Sotogrande with a 65 in the chase for the 35 tour cards on offer.

One player who was really suffering was Sweden's Michael Jonzon, twice a winner on the European Tour, Yet somehow, despite the massive importance of the week, he was still smiling afterwards and prepared to relive it, shot by ghastly shot.

The school is a 108-hole marathon, but after just two of them the 29-year-old Scandinavian was eight over par, a double bogey-six being followed by a sextuple-bogey 10 at San Roque.

Jonzon, who looked such a brilliant prospect when he captured the 1997 Portuguese Open, also bogeyed the short third and did well to battle back for an 80. It still leaves him with only two of the 168-strong field behind him.

It was a far better for 1991 Ryder Cup team-mates Paul Broadhurst and Steve Richardson on the same course who shot 69 and 70 respectively.