Kaymer makes bright start in Wales

German star Martin Kaymer, hoping for bad weather at October's Ryder Cup, was going well in the sunshine when the Wales Open began today.

On the same Celtic Manor course where the Americans will defend the trophy Kaymer, one of the likely debutants in Colin Montgomerie's team, was one off the lead after his first six holes.

An eagle two on the driveable dogleg 15th - his fifth - lifted the 25-year-old to two-under-par and one behind Welshman Bradley Dredge, England's Chris Wood and Swede Alex Noren.

As for his thinking on the conditions he wants if he does earn his first cap Kaymer had said: "I like to play in bad weather and I think it would be an advantage for the European players too.

"We have more experience in bad weather than the Americans and I think that will make a difference."

Simon Khan, back in action after his life-changing BMW PGA Championship triumph at Wentworth two weeks ago, was another to eagle the 15th.

The Essex golfer - winner of the Tour's flagship event from 471st in the world and six months after going back to the qualifying school - drove the green and made a 35-foot putt.

He had bogeyed the 12th and 13th, but the eagle followed a birdie and that made him one under.

Dredge still harbours the dream of playing in the Ryder Cup on home soil - a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" he calls it - and birdies on the 11th, 14th and 15th lifted him to the top of the leaderboard.

Wood - fifth and third in the last two Opens and chasing his first Tour title - birdied both par threes on the back nine after setting off with a four at the long 11th.

Noren joined them by hitting a superb three-wood over the water and on to the green at the 575-yard 18th and two-putting for a fifth birdie in eight holes. He had bogeyed the 12th and 14th, though.

Montgomerie had the bonus of holing a bunker shot on the 14th to move to one under, but he chose to lay up at the next, then missed the green and followed a bogey there with another on the 16th to stand one over.

Playing partners Oliver Wilson and Alvaro Quiros, both Cup candidates, were not putting on the show they were hoping for in front of the captain.

Spanish Open champion Quiros bogeyed three of his first five holes, while Wilson birdied the 11th, but then dropped shots on 14th and 16th.

Among those alongside Kaymer was Scot Stephen Gallacher, fourth and sixth the last two weeks. He birdied three of his first five, but bogeyed the short 17th.