GOLF: Only one of the nine European Ryder Cup team members competing here failed to end in the red after yesterday's first round of the Germany Masters at Gut-Larchenhof. That is under par, of course, Wales's Phillip Price being the man with balance-sheet problems after a one-over 73.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn joined the walking wounded when he complained of a stiff neck before teeing off, and an outward 38 hinted it might be hindering him, but five birdies and an eagle in a homeward 29 saw him to a 67.

His five-under effort left him three adrift of Stephen Leaney. The Australian carding a superb 64 for a one-shot lead over European number one Retief Goosen.

Leaney credited a new putting routine for his flawless eight-birdie round that proved his game is in good shape ahead of his attempt to gain his US Tour card in November.

"That has always been the goal but I missed out by one shot in 2000 and did not go last year because of September 11," the 33-year-old from Perth said.

Colin Montgomerie returned with a 71 after three weeks out with back trouble. "I hit the ball great. There were no problems with the back, which is settling down with the work I am doing to strengthen it."

The 39-year-old Scot, who shed 20lbs in his 20 days away from tour, reported "no problems at all" with his recurring back spasms, adding: "Actually, it feels as though it's settling down now, hopefully because of the work I've been doing strengthening myself and hopefully that will continue."

Montgomerie played with another injury worry, Padraig Harrington, but the Irishman insisted his ankle and neck had been less trouble than his lack of confidence as he rehabilitates.

Harrington scrambled well and a 68 looked on the cards until a dropped shot on the last cost him a 69.

"I didn't play with much confidence," said Harrington, playing with his ankle strapped.

"It really waned over the last few holes and the 18th was a big disappointment.

"I seem to be pivoting fine now, although I didn't have tremendous faith with my alignment."

Bjorn had pulled out of the pro-am as a precautionary measure after suffering a stiff neck and lack of match practice told as he slipped to two-over by the turn.

But a blistering back nine in which he picked up an eagle, a stunning three-iron to three feet, and five birdies, one of them a lip-out that denied him a hole-in-one, earned him a 67, to be the top European Ryder Cup performer.

He said: "I didn't play that badly on the first nine and hit eight greens but I couldn't hole the putts.

"The back nine was fantastic and shows when I'm in the right frame of mind I can shoot good numbers."

Defending champion Bernhard Langer played with Bjorn and Ernie Els and outshot the world number three and British Open champion by a stroke to card a 68.

Lee Westwood has been one of the biggest concerns for Sam Torrance as his form refused to really pick up and his missed cut in last week's European Masters left the Englishman feeling rock bottom with only three weeks to go before the Belfry clash.

But even with a late bogey with his only bad shot of the day, his drive on 17th sending his ball into water and costing him a 70, Westwood was upbeat.

"Form is fickle. It was a day when I could have shot 65 but it's typical of how you can get kicked when you're down, that I shot a 70," he said.

"It was pretty good, though. I found something before playing, built on it and I found a lot more width to manoeuvre."

Pierre Fulke matched Harrington's 69, showing just the sort of determination SamTorrance will expect at The Belfry as he rolled up his trousers and took off his shoes and socks to play a shot out of the lake at the last to save par with a chip to 12ft.

Torrance suffered a bad back for the second successive tournament and withdrew without hitting a ball.

Ireland's Paul McGinley and Swede Niclas Fasth also shot 70s.

FIRST ROUND SCORES

(Irish in bold, Brit unless stated, Par 72)

(x) denotes amateurs

64 - S Leaney (Aus)

65 - R Goosen (Rsa)

67 - P O'Malley (Aus), G Evans, J Lomas, D Fichardt (Rsa), M Gronberg (Swe), S Hansen (Den), T Bjorn (Den), J Donaldson, W Bennett, R Bland, M Pilkington

68 - B Davis, T Immelman (Rsa), K Baraka (Ger), R Karlsson (Swe), A Cejka (Ger), D Carter, N Dougherty, R Gonzalez (Arg), I Woosnam, B Langer (Ger), A Forsbrand (Swe), P Casey, P Fowler (Aus), E Canonica (Ita), M Reale (Ita)

69 - R Muntz (Ned), A Forsyth, A Hansen (Den), Padraig Harrington, E Els (Rsa), M Lafeber (Ned), P Fulke (Swe), B Dredge

70 - J Lupprian (Ger), C Rocca (Ita), R Jacquelin (Fra), H Nystrom (Swe), E Romero (Arg), Paul McGinley, S Dyson, S Scahill (Nzl), G Orr, S Webster, C Suneson (Spa), A Oldcorn, J Moseley (Aus), A Wall, H Bjornstad (Nor), L Westwood, D Lynn, D Howell, I Garrido (Spa), N Fasth (Swe)

71 - S Dodd, R Russell, R S Johnson (Swe), J Spence, D Lee, N Faldo, M Campbell (Nzl), R Green (Aus), R Beem (USA), C Pettersson (Swe), T Schuster (Ger), A Mednick (Swe), C Montgomerie, A Cabrera (Arg), P Sjoland (Swe), M Angel Martin (Spa), J Bickerton, G Emerson, P Eales, J Haeggman (Swe)

72 - Des Smyth, M A Jimenez (Spa), J Hugo (Rsa), K Vainola (Fin), J M Singh (Ind), P Lawrie, B Lane, M James, I Poulter

73 - G Owen, M Mackenzie, A Coltart, A Scott (Aus), P Price, S Gallacher, M McNulty (Zim), M Siem (Ger), T Levet (Fra), R Porter, N O'Hern (Aus), T Dier (Ger), J Sandelin (Swe), Graeme McDowell

74 - J Berendt (Arg), R Chapman, M Tunnicliff, G Havret (Fra), P Lonard (Aus), D Robertson, M Lundberg (Swe), A Dickel (Ger), P Platz (Ger), JM Olazabal (Spa), I Garbutt, M Farry (Fra), F Jacobson (Swe), H Stenson (Swe), O Karlsson (Swe), J Remesy (Fra), M Brier (Aut)

75 - S Richardson, Cr Hanell (Swe), P Baker, T Johnstone (Zim), R Wessels (Rsa), S Tinning (Den), A Atwal (Ind), M Mouland

76 - G Turner (Nzl), S Ballesteros (Spa), B Rumford (Aus)

77 - D Borrego (Spa), M Haremza (Ger)

78 - B Dickerson (USA)

79 - L Parsons (Aus) 80 - S Struver (Ger)