Englishman calls the shots

GOLF

England's Ian Garbutt and the American Peter Teravainen overshadowed a quartet of high-profile rivals when they shared the lead after the first round of the Australian Masters in Melbourne yesterday.

Garbutt, a former English amateur champion, is competing in Australia after losing his European Tour card, while Teravainen has enjoyed only moderate success on the Australian Tour.

The Americans, Tom Watson and John Daly, and Australians Robert Allenby and Peter Senior failed to match the pair's five-under-par total of 68 at Huntingdale.

Watson, Allenby and Senior finished one shot adrift of the leaders with Daly a further two shots back.

Watson was heartened by his form on the greens after scoring a 69. "That's the best round I've putted this year," the former Open and US Open champion said.

Daly, disqualified from this event three years ago for failing to sign his card, dropped two shots over the final three holes to finish on 71.