DELAGRANGE IN TOP GEAR AT BMW ASIAN OPEN

Frenchman Sebastien Delagrange celebrated his graduation to the European Tour today by taking the first round lead in the US$1.5 million BMW Asian Open.

In what is the opening leg of the European Tour's 2001/2002 season Delagrange, who earned his Tour card by finishing sixth on this year's Challenge Tour, fired a four-under-par 68 at the Westin Resort Ta Shee.

He leads by a stroke from England's Gary Clark, also a Challenge Tour graduate, and Jamie Spence and Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone, in an event which is also being joint-sanctioned with the Asian PGA-run Davidoff Tour.

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez are a shot further back with Englishmen Gary Evans and Barry Lane and New Zealand's Stephen Scahill.

Delagrange coped best with the slick greens and swirling winds at Ta Shee and would have led by more if not for bogies on his final two holes.

Said the Frenchman: "The greens are very fast and when you are putting downhill it is very difficult. Even if you are two metres from the hole, you can go up to four metres past. The pin positions are very tough today, you must play for the middle of the green and not leave yourself with a long putt."

Delagrange, 27, started his round on the back nine and made the turn in four-under-par 32 thanks to just 11 putts. On the inward stretch he was six under with three to play but wayward drives cost him on eight and nine.

"I played well today especially as I only had two hours sleep last night. It is also pleasing because this is the first time that I have played in Asia," added Delagrange.

Delagrange won twice this year on the Challenge Tour to help earn his Tour card. His victory in the first event in May followed a two-month lay-off with a back injury.

Fiji's Vijay Singh, who won back-to-back titles in Asia in February, returned a 71, New Zealand's Michael Campbell finished level, while England' s Nick Faldo fired a 73.

"I am happy with 71. It's a good start, especially as conditions were so tricky. It was really windy at times," said Singh, who won the Carlsberg Malaysian Open and Caltex Singapore Masters earlier this year.

The BMW Asian Open is the penultimate leg on this year's Davidoff Tour and will play a crucial role in deciding who wins this year's Order of Merit crown.

However, the two players in contention for the Merit list, Korea's Charlie Wi and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee got off to a poor start. Tour leader Wi, who has won three times this year, fired a 76 while Thongchai came in with a 74.

"It was a tough day at the office. I just couldn't get things going but at least all the scores were high so I am still in the hunt," said Wi.

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68 - Sebastien Delagrange (FRA)

69 - Tony Johnstone (ZIM), Gary Clark (ENG), Jamie Spence (ENG)

70 - Barry Lane (ENG), José Maria Olazabal (ESP), Gary Evans (ENG)

Miguel Angel Jiménez (ESP), Stephen Scahill (NZL)

71 - Unho Park (AUS), Vijay Singh (FIJ), Ian Poulter (ENG), Kyi Hla Han (MYN) Jyoti Randhawa (IND), Thomas Levet (FRA), Greg Hanrahan (USA), Nico Van Rensburg (RSA)

72 - Ted Oh (KOR), Rafael Ponce (ECU), Michael Campbell (NZL), Stephen Dodd (WAL), Jarmo Sandelin (SWE), Rolf Muntz (NED), Brian Davis (ENG), Carl Pettersson (SWE), Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA)

73 - Phiiip Golding (ENG), Simon Dyson (ENG), Olle Karlsson (SWE), Hsieh Min-nan (TWN)