Golf: Jamie Elson defied heat and treacherous greens to charge into a share of the lead at the Malaysian Open with an opening round of six-under-par.

The British 22-year-old - son of former European Tour player Pip Elson - finished with three consecutive birdies to join 6ft 6in South African Martin Maritz and Australian Terry Price on top of the leaderboard.

Malaysia's Airil-Rizman Zahari finished the day in second on five-under, one shot ahead of Paul McGinley and the pack, who opened with a 68, including Wales's Stephen Dodd and Sweden's Robert Karlsson.

McGinley's fellow Dubliner Padraig Harrington finished the day one shot further back alongside Englishmen David Howell and Jamie Hepworth and remains firmly in the hunt after a solid 69.

A shot further back was Wexford's Damien McGrane.

One of the day's talking points was the difficult pin positions, particularly the par-three fifth, where 44 of the field dropped a shot. Scot Andrew Coltart, who double-bogeyed the hole on his way to a 70, went to warn McGinley of the perils before he teed off and he escaped with a par, though he questioned the wisdom of the pin-placement.

"It was wrong. I know some guys got caught. I think the officials know it is wrong," he said. "It was certainly a mistake. It's a very tricky green. I can see what guys got annoyed about. There's no question, it is annoying.

"The greens are extremely tricky and difficult but I putted lovely. It was my day. A couple of times I was lagging putts and they went in the hole. When those things happen it is obviously your day. Overall I am pleased."

Another to fall victim to the fifth green, described by co-leader Maritz as "borderline impossible", was Colin Montgomery, who dropped five shots in his last five holes to finish on one-over-par. On the fifth, the 40-year-old's first putt disappeared off the green. He chipped back on but his next putt lipped out. The smiling, talkative figure who had taken to the tee was now furious and frustrated.

The double-bogey six sparked a collapse as Montgomerie went on to bogey three of his final four holes and signed for his 73 red-faced and distressed.

"I finished with five fives, what is there is to say. The heat got to me. I am going off to find some headache pills and lie down," was all he said.

Elson had suffered with food poisoning after arriving in Kuala Lumpur and had hardly practised but his knowledge of the Saujana Golf and Country Club, where he played in the 2002 Eisenhower Trophy, proved invaluable.

"Course management is key around here and it is quite a tough course," said the Augusta State graduate after dropping just one shot, on, unsurprisingly, the fifth.

"I played lovely today, really good. I putted lovely today. I was reading the grain very well. The greens are very grainy out there.

"My irons were good off the tee, fairly accurate. I was hitting them to a good distance. I don't think the scoring will be outrageous this week."

It was quite a day for Australian Marcus Both, who opened the day with a birdie and then had a hole-in-one on the 172-yard par three second, but slumped back in to finish on two-over-par.