Donald claims share of the lead in Madrid

LUKE Donald bounced straight back from his Wentworth wobble to claim a share of the first-round lead in the Madrid Masters. Five days after taking seven on the penultimate hole of the BMW PGA Championship and losing by one, Donald fired a seven-under-par 65 at Real Sociedad to end the day alongside Welsh pair Rhys Davies and Jamie Donaldson.

And as if to hit back as well at all the headlines last week calling him "Plod" – his brother started that – the Ryder Cup star made two superb eagles.

"I can't remember the last time I had two in a round. I don't think I've had one on the PGA Tour all year," said Donald, who almost holed his 275-yard approach to the monster 653-yard ninth and then hit another rescue club 253 yards to seven feet on the 16th.

"I'm never going to overpower a course and some people think I am a short hitter, but I hit it far enough to compete. I would love to have that drive (at the 17th on Sunday) again, but I don't see the value in stewing over it. If I had planned a week off it might have been tougher, but you learn and you take the positives. You obviously gain confidence from being at the top of the leaderboard most of the week."

Donaldson was a team-mate of Donald when Britain finished second in the world amateur team championship 10 years ago, but he has played 200 European Tour events since then and has yet to taste success. Davies, on the other hand, is in his rookie season and has already won in Morocco. On the eve of his 25th birthday the former American college player – he played with Rory McIlroy in the 2007 Walker Cup – had seven birdies as did Donaldson.

One stroke behind the three leaders are 43-year-old Paul McGinley and Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, both of whom have had recent knee surgery.

McGinley is not yet dismissing the idea of regaining his Ryder Cup place. The Dubliner knows he can expect to be one of Colin Montgomerie's vice-captains if he fails to make it and said: "I've got to do something very substantial, but I'm certainly not discounting my chances."

Donald out-scored playing partner Sergio Garcia by seven after the Spaniard's level par round, while the third member of the group Martin Kaymer scored 71.

David Drysdale and Stephen Gallacher were the pick of the Scots after creditable rounds of 69 took them to three-under-par, one stroke better than Marc Warren (70) and two ahead of Steven O'Hara who shot 71.

Paul Lawrie, Gary Orr, and Peter Whiteford all carded 73 to be one-over, while Scott Drummond, Alastair Forsyth, Richie Ramsay and Andrew Coltart all have work to do to make the cut after rounds of 74 left them at two-over. Andrew McArthur was two shots further back after a round of 76.

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