FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD GB&Ire unless stated -4 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Joes Manuel Lara (Spa) -3 Brian Davis, Alastair Forsyth -2 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Luke Donald, Jonathan Lomas, Peter O'Malley (Aus) -1 Bradley Dredge, Marcus Fraser (Aus), Peter Hanson (Swe), Trevor Immelman (SA) Clubhouse scores

The Spaniards carded four-under 67s to take a one-shot lead over England's Brian Davis and Scot Alastair Forsyth.

English duo Luke Donald and Jonathan Lomas are in a four-strong group one shot further back on two under par.

Darren Clarke bogeyed four of the last seven to finish on two over, one worse than Lee Westwood, while Colin Montgomerie posted a four-over 75.

On a tough day for scoring at the European Tour's season finale, only 12 players in the 54-strong field beat par.

Among those to struggle were Ryder Cup stars Paul McGinley, with a 76, and Thomas Levet, who came home in 40 for a four-over-par total.

In fact, with all 12 of Europe's Ryder Cup stars back together for the first time since Detroit, Garcia and Donald were the only two to beat par. Ian Poulter is the next best-placed on level par after an inward nine of 33.

And with Thursday's draw a reverse of the current Order of Merit, the season's most consistent performers got the worst of the conditions.

It wasn't easy to play - par was somewhere around 73 in those conditions Sergio Garcia

The final pairing of Padraig Harrington and Miguel Angel Jimenez - third and fourth on the Order of Merit and, in the absence of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, the top players at Valderrama - could only manage a 72 and a 73 respectively.

Jimenez dropped three shots in the last five holes, while Harrington bounced back from a double bogey at the 15th to birdie the 18th.

Hometown hero Garcia played near-flawless golf in the swirling winds and dropped only one shot, a bogey at the par-three third when he failed to get up and down from behind the green.

Lara, whose foot was stung by a bee in the middle of his round, carded six birdies and two bogeys.

The 24-year-old Garcia, winner of the Mallorca Open two weeks ago, was delighted with his showing.

"There were a lot of good shots out there," said Garcia.

I'm learning the course as I go along and hopefully Sunday I will have figured it all out Luke Donald

"It was a tough day, with the wind. It wasn't easy to play. Par was somewhere around 73 today in those conditions."

Montgomerie, the only player in the field to have won at Valderrama, said: "I just couldn't get the ball to the hole.

"Perhaps the rain has made the greens slower."

But Donald, who has vowed to play more golf on the European Tour next season, was delighted to have come home in 32.

"Par was a good score today and I'll take two-under. I was determined to shoot a good back nine," said Donald.

"I'm learning the course as I go along and hopefully Sunday I will have figured it all out."