European tour: Ireland's Paul McGinley finished just one shot off the pace after the first round of the TCL Classic at Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan Island, China, after an opening round of seven under par 65.

A blistering back nine of 31 kept McGinley in touch with the leaders - England Paul Casey, the Swedish pair Fredrik Andersson Hed and Johan Edfors and Thailand's Chawalit Plaphol.

Philip Walton and Stephen Browne, making only their second appearance this year, are on two under par as the European Tour's second visit to China of season got off to a flying start - with 125 players out of a field of 168 posting scores under par.

McGinley, who harbours hopes of regaining a place in the world's top 50, fired three birdies in and outward nine of 34 picked up four shots in five holes immediately after the turn and closed with a three at the 449-yards 18th.

Casey got off to an excellent start birdieing his opening two holes before picking up further shots on the eight and ninth to turn in four under par 32.

He came home in equally effective fashion, putting together four straight birdies from the 12th to 15th to post the clubhouse target of eight under par.

Andersson Hed looked unlikely to threaten that lead after seven holes of his first round, the 35 year old having started the day with seven straight pars before shifting through the gears and into overdrive with a brilliant display of four birdies and two eagle threes in his closing 12 holes.

Edfors, meanwhile, had a similarly productive day to his fellow countryman and Casey, carding an outstanding first round score that included an eagle two at the par four 10th.

While Andersson Hed, Casey and Edfors flew the flag for Europe at this joint-sanctioned event between The European Tour and the Asian Tour, in collaboration with the China Golf Association, Plaphol was the Asian Tour's top man after the first round.

The Thai professional put together an impressive nine birdies, eight pars and just one dropped shot to join the European trio at the leaderboard's summit.

There is a group of four current and former European Ryder Cup players among those players within a few shots of the lead.

England's Paul Broadhurst joins McGinley on seven under, Denmark's Thomas Björn is six under, while Scotland's Colin Montgomerie - the 2002 TCL Classic champion - opened his week with a 67 for a five under par total.

For the 27-year-old Casey, this was his first appearance this year outside America, where he is basing himself, and it was almost as if the shackles had been removed. His now infamous comments about "hating" Americans - taken out of context of the Ryder Cup - have come back to haunt him on the PGA Tour and earlier this month at the Ford Championship in Miami a spectator was ejected after heckling the Englishman.

He has also had a frosty reception from some of his fellow professionals in America with his latest run-in coming with former USPGA winner Rich Beem on the practice ground last week.

Casey missed his first two cuts of the year but looked to have recovered his game in Florida where he finished tied for 16th.

And he found a benign course yesterday much to his liking - as did most of the field.

"It is such a nice course and if you put the ball in play, there are birdies to be had," said Casey.

"If you look at the rest of the scores, everyone is shooting low numbers.

"I like the course. This is a lot like what I play every day of the week when I am not on tour. I can figure my way round Robert Trent Jones Junior's courses."

If Montgomerie wins the tournament he will move to about 47th in the world rankings, therefore gaining entry to the Players Championship in Florida - dubbed the fifth major - and vastly improving his chances of making it to Augusta.

However, a second-place finish would leave him with an anxious wait on performances at the Bay Hill Invitational in Florida to see whether he flies out to Sawgrass for the Players Championship or heads to Jakarta for the Indonesian Open.

Like Casey, the Scot recorded four birdies in his first nine holes, but a bogey six at the 543-yard 13th spoiled his card. Birdies after the turn at the fourth and ninth holes saw him shoot 67, but that was only good enough for a tie for 22nd.

Scotland's Ross Bain, who has yet to win after joining the European Tour in 2001, stood in a tie for fifth after a round of seven-under which included an eagle three at the 15th.

Walton's two under par 70 included five birdies but three dropped shots left him back in the pack.

Browne, meanwhile, carded four birdies in his round at the fourth, seventh, ninth and 12th but a double bogey five at the par three fifth hole spoiled his day.

PGA TOUR: Graeme McDowell was in second place at two under par after five holes in the Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard, at Bay Hill GC, Orlando, when bad weather caused play to be suspended for the day.

Joe Ogilvie, beaten by Padraig Harrington in a play-off for last week's Honda Classic, shared the lead with Spain's Sergio Garcia at three under par.