SOTOGRANDE, Spain (AP) -- Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark shot a 6-under 65 Thursday for a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Volvo Masters, and Lee Westwood surged ahead in the chase for the Order of Merit title.
Sergio Garcia finished with a 68 to finish second on a windy day at Valderrama.
Westwood was one of only six players to finish under par after a 70 put him three strokes ahead of Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson and longshot Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Karlsson initially struggled with his putter but rallied for a 73. Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, the Swede's closest competitor for the European Tour's money title, was three shots behind Karlsson.
| Player | Events | Money |
| 17 | $10,508,163 | |
| 22 | $6,332,636 | |
| 18 | $5,332,755 |