McGrane starts as he needs to finish

GOLF/Majorca Classic: Damien McGrane made the perfect start in his last-ditch attempt to secure his Tour card for next season by firing a six-under-par 64 in yesterday's opening round of the Turespana Majorca Classic.

The 32-year-old from Wexford is currently 142nd on the Order of Merit and has only this week's tournament, with its modest prize money, and next week's more lucrative Madrid Open to climb into the top 115 who automatically retain their card.

McGrane's effort, which included holing an eight-iron second shot from 147 yards for eagle on the 14th at the Pula Golf Club, is two shots clear of Jose Maria Olazabal and Belgian Didier De Vooght.

Olazabal is hoping to enhance his chances of playing in the end-of-season Volvo Masters by playing in this event, which is co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour and received a confidence-booster with a faultless round containing four birdies.

"My irons were better today than for a long time and my misses were not big misses, like they have often been this year, and I hit quite a few good irons for a change," said Olazabal.

"Obviously to score like that you need the putter working and today it did, when that has also been another part of my game that's not been good."

MAJORCA CLASSIC

(at Pula Golf Club) -

First round scores

(British unless stated, Irish in bold):

64 - D McGrane. 66 - JM Olazabal (Spa), D De Vooght (Bel). 67 - M Jonzon (Swe), S Little. 68 - M Siem (Ger), P Broadhurst, JM Carriles (Spa), S Luna (Spa), M Lafeber (Ned), M Blackey, G Rojas (Arg), S Drummond, H Stenson (Swe), B Barham, M Lemesurier, S Bebb. 69 - S Hurd, C Hanell (Swe), M Foster, JM Lara (Spa), S Khan, B Mason, E de la Riva (Spa), G Clark. 70 - J Hepworth, D Drysdale, R Gonzalez (Arg), M Wiegele (Aut), J-F Lucquin (Fra), F Orest (Swe), F Delamontagne (Fra), M Kirk (Rsa), S Walker, MA Martin (Spa), D Park. 71 - C Wi (Kor), J Lomas, D Carter, F Roca (Spa), L Parsons (Aus), W Bennett, A Mednick (Swe), C Cevaer (Fra), P Eales, M Lundberg (Swe), L Oosthuizen (Rsa), S Wakefield, S Webster, M Pilkington, J Spence, P Sjoland (Swe), G Hutcheon, M Brier (Aut), L James, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den). 72 - S Dyson, L Westwood, J Rystrom (Swe), P Archer, T Moore (Rsa), S Fernandez (Arg), O David (Fra), J Kingston (Rsa), P Baker, A Tadini (Ita), M Mouland, A Salto (Spa), J Berendt (Arg), TJ Munoz (Spa), MA Jimenez (Spa), E Little, D Dixon, J-A Larsen (Nor), F Widmark (Swe). 73 - J Sandelin (Swe), N Vanhootegem (Bel), R Coles, R Bland, I Garbutt, J Elson, H Nystrom (Swe), I Pyman, R Jimenez (Spa), J Rivero (Spa), G Emerson, A Marshall, T Price (Aus), JM Arruti (Spa), M Cort, K Baraka (Ger), E Rush, M Archer. 74 - K Eriksson (Swe), D Borrego (Spa), J van Hauwe (Fra), P Walton, J Hugo (Rsa), M Warren, M Eliasson (Swe), T Dier (Ger), M Moreno (Spa). 75 - M Farry (Fra), C Monasterio (Arg), R Rock, G Canizares (Spa), J Edfors (Swe), R Karlsson (Swe), R Russell, D Pastor (Spa). 76 - DJ Geall, I Giner (Spa), S Webster, M Urquhart, M Erlandsson (Swe). 77 - A Oldcorn, S Struver (Ger), C Williams, R Chapman, M Maritz (Rsa), R McEvoy, S Branger (Fra). 78 - JL Guepy (Fra), P Hanson (Swe), H Bjornstad (Nor), F Bisazza (Ita). 79 - R Reid (Rsa). 80 - T Johnstone (Zim), P Nyman (Swe). 84 - D Vancsik (Arg). Rtd: A Raitt. Withdrawn: N Colsaerts (Bel).