Rose is still chasing his maiden PGA Tour victory

R1 LEADERBOARD:
US unless stated
-12 J Rose (GB)
-8 R Johnson (Swe)
-7 T Ridings, S Flesch, B Tway, C Howell III, JJ Henry
Selected others:
-5 G Owen (GB), N Price (Zim)
-4 V Singh (Fij)
-3 B Davis (GB)

Britain's Justin Rose carded a course record 12-under-par 60 to grab the early first-round lead at the Walt Disney Classic in Florida.

Rose's round included a remarkable run of 10 birdies over his first 12 holes, with six straight from the seventh.

The previous record of 61 was shared by Mark Lyle and Carl Pettersson.

"That is by far my lowest round, I was in uncharted territory," said the 26-year-old Englishman afterwards at the Lake Buena Vista Palms course.

Rose got off to a sizzling start in the event played over two lay-outs, with birdies on his opening three holes.

After a par-birdie-par stutter at four, five and six he stepped up his assault with three more birdies to complete the front nine in seven-under 29.

He maintained his momentum with three birdies from the 10th before capping off his bogey-free round with two more at the 14th and 17th followed by a par at the last.

The record round earned him a four-shot lead over Sweden's Richard Johnson, who return a bogey free eight-under 64.

Lurking one shot further back at seven-under 65 is a group of five Americans, Tag Ridings, Steve Flesch, Bob Tway, Charles Howell III and JJ Henry.

Defending champion Lucas Glover and world number 13 Trevor Immelman of South Africa managed to stay in sight of the leader in a large group of players at six-under 66.

World number five Vijay Singh of Fiji, the top-ranked player in the field and the 2003 winner carded a four-under 68 at the tougher Magnolia course to sit eight off the pace.