Nicolas Colsaerts outshone the Ryder Cup players competing in the Wales Open, but admitted to pangs of jealousy at missing out on a second appearance in next week's event at Gleneagles.

Colsaerts carded a five-under-par 66 to set the clubhouse target at Celtic Manor, with Jamie Donaldson returning a 70 and Lee Westwood showing signs of rustiness in a 73.

Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjorn were among the later starters and all four had dinner with European captain Paul McGinley on Wednesday night, a dinner Colsaerts could not help but notice.

“I saw them having dinner and thought ‘I wish I was in that room’,” said Colsaerts, who carded eight birdies and an eagle in a fourball win alongside Westwood at Medinah two years ago.

“It’s their adventure and I am not part of it, but once you play in one Ryder Cup, you don’t want to miss another one.”

Colsaerts was one over par after seven holes of his round but then made an eagle on the 18th after smashing a drive almost 450 yards and hitting a pitching wedge to the green on the 613-yard par five.

“I thought it was too far right but it’s all downhill and downwind and it must have luged down the fairway,” Colsaerts added. “If all the stars align you can hit it a long way.”

The 31-year-old Belgian then birdied the first, second, fifth and seventh to hold a two-shot lead over playing partner Tommy Fleetwood – who won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last year – Ireland's Shane Lowry and Portugal's Ricardo Santos.

Lowry carded six birdies during his round along with three bogeys, while Damien McGrane had an eagle at the par-five 11th in a level-par 71.

Michael Hoey was three under through his seven holes this morning but two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey seven on the par-four fifth saw him eventually sign for a three-over 74.