Defending champion Graeme McDowell is three shots off the lead following the opening day of the Saab Wales Open.
McDowell was in decent form on day one at Celtic Manor, carding a four-under-par first round, but he was upstaged by South African Keith Horne who shot 64 to take a one-shot lead into day two.
Horne, currently ranked 289th in the world, shot seven birdies in a bogey-free seven-under-par round on Thursday to edge ahead of Sweden’s Peter Hanson, whose six-under 65 left him alone in second ahead of Steve Webster, Alvaro Velasco and Paul Broadhurst on five-under-par.
McDowell, meanwhile, began on the back nine and quickly picked up a shot at the par-four 12th before following that up with his first bogey of the day at the par-four 14th. However, the Northern Irishman responded in spectacular fashion with a 30-foot eagle putt at the 15th, and he added two more birdies after the turn to sign for 67.
McDowell is joined on four-under by five others, including home hope Stuart Manley and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, while fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke is a shot further back on three-under.
Clarke, winner of the Iberdrola Open last month, began with two birdies on his front nine before riding a rollercoaster last nine that had slightly more peaks than dips. Clarke shot three bogeys but kept his challenge on track with birdies at 15, 17 and 18 to complete his 18 holes in 68.
Meanwhile, popular Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez ended the day well off the pace after a disappointing first round that saw him make three bogeys and a double-bogey in a two-over-par 73, while veteran American John Daly is six-over and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie is seven-over.
