Gonzales leads in Seville

Refreshed by a five-week break with his family in Argentina, big-hitting Ricardo Gonzalez made a superb return to the European Tour today.

Back at the Real Club where he won the 2004 Seville Open, the 40-year-old fired a seven-under-par 65 to lead former English amateur champion Paul Waring by one after the first round of the Spanish Open.

"In Spain I feel like home. I like the people, the food, the golf courses," said Gonzalez, who also captured the Madrid Open seven years ago.

"I've come with all the batteries charged and I think I have a chance to have a good tournament."

The best of his eight birdies came at the 226-yard 17th, his eighth, where he struck "the best three-iron I have hit in a long time" to within 10 feet of the flag.

Waring has yet to record a top-five finish since coming through the 2007 qualifying school, but a month ago in Malaga he knocked four strokes off his best round on Tour with a 62.

Something similar was a possibility when the 25-year-old from Birkenhead followed three opening birdies with an eight-foot eagle putt on the long fifth.

But the former disc jockey - house music was his speciality in the clubs and bars of Liverpool - missed out on top spot by driving into sand and bogeying the 432-yard last.

Waring is happy just to be in Spain this week. The air chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud left him stuck in the Middle East and he was originally told the first flight out was May 1.

"We managed to get out on Sunday, though, and then flew here yesterday," he said.

The group in third place on four under includes England's Simon Dyson and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, both back in action three weeks after missing the cut at The Masters.

On the same mark are Dyson's fellow Yorkshireman Danny Willett, who as an amateur two years ago shot a 64 on the course, and Ireland's Damien McGrane, plus Gonzalez's compatriot Rafa Echenique, Spain's Sebi Garcia-Grout and Carlos Del Moral and Swedes Martin Erlandsson and Mikael Lundberg.

Garcia-Grout, from Majorca and with a British mother, earned fame at the end of last year with a 13-under-par round of 58 in an event on the Spanish circuit, although placing of the ball was allowed.

Ranked 1,272nd in the world, he is one of eight home players given sponsor's invitations this week.

His 68 was seven better than Darren Clarke managed - the Irishman's round contained a triple-bogey eight on the ninth - and three better than Colin Montgomerie, who bogeyed two of the last three and then could not contain his fury about some loud music nearby.