BBC SPORT | Golf | Broadhurst leads after stylish 64

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Last Updated: Thursday, 30 March 2006, 17:16 GMT 18:16 UK

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Broadhurst leads after stylish 64

1ST ROUND LEADERBOARD

GB&Ire unless stated
-8 P Broadhurst
-7 CL Nilsson (Swe)
-6 C Cevaer (Fr)
-5 R Finch, J Sandelin (Swe), C Suneson (Spa)
Selected others:
-4 Pa Lawrie
-3 N Dougherty
-2 I Woosnam

Defending champion Paul Broadhurst equalled the course record with an eight-under-par 64 to take a first round lead in the Portuguese Open.

The former Ryder Cup star fired an eagle and seven birdies at the Le Meridien Penina course to finish one ahead of Sweden's Christian Nilsson.

Frenchman Christian Cevaer was two shots off the lead after his 66.

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie shot a four-under 68 and England's Nick Dougherty ended with a 69.

Broadhurst thanked coach Bob Torrance after his stunning return to form.

The Warwickshire player turned to Torrance - father of former Ryder Cup captain Sam - after missing the halfway cuts at both the TCL Classic and the Singapore Masters.

"Bob is certainly not into the modern day swing," Broadhurst explained.

I holed some good putts - I feel I can win this event again
Paul Broadhurst

"He uses Ben Hogan as his case study and that is right for me. He is not over technical and it is more about feel.

"I have to work with what I have got and as long as I stick to certain guidelines I am okay."

Asked for the secret of his brilliant start Broadhurst replied: "I just stood up and smashed the driver."

Broadhurst - who started on the back nine - came home in just 30 shots including an eagle three at the fifth.

"I holed some good putts, which is a nice feeling. I feel I can win this event again," he said.

Play had to be halted earlier in the day when a five-man team of parachutists came down on the course near to where British trio Scott Drummond, David Park and Robert Coles were playing.

One of the skydivers jettisoned a chute which floated down to the fifth fairway and his colleagues then dropped down on to the course to retrieve it.

Tournament official Paul Cargill said: "The players were just taken a bit by surprise but then got on with play. The skydivers were extremely apologetic."