Storm and Green lead French Open

Graeme Storm returned to the scene of his one European Tour victory today and shared the early first-round lead.

The 33-year-old Englishman, winner in 2007, began the Alstom French Open at Le Golf National near Paris - venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup - with a six-under-par 65.

It put him alongside 40-year-old Australian left-hander Richard Green, who had his parents watching him as he charged to seven under before bogeying the 484-yard 17th.

Storm bogeyed the same hole, however, and parred the last for an inward 31.

They were two ahead of English rookie Matthew Nixon and three in front of a group which included Scot Peter Whiteford and England's Anthony Wall and Mark Foster.

Ireland's Damien McGrane was disqualified for taking a wrong drop, along with English qualifier James Ruebotham, South African Jaco Van Zyl and Swede Rikard Karlberg.

Colin Montgomerie, runner-up three years ago and looking for a top-five finish to secure a late spot into The Open, was going well at two-under, but then bogeyed two of his last three for a 71.

Particularly disappointing was his six on the long ninth, his final hole, where he stood over a makeable birdie chance, but ran it four feet past and missed the return.

World number four Martin Kaymer, struggling for the form that saw him replace Lee Westwood at the top of the rankings in February, was alongside Montgomerie and so was Dane Thomas Bjorn after a rare round of 18 successive pars.

American left-hander Bubba Watson and defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez were among the later starters, Watson boosting his hopes with two birdies in the first three, but then had his first bogey.

Storm and Green found themselves three clear of the field when Nixon closed with a bogey and slipped into the group on 68.