Storm shrugs off injury to take share of lead in Turin

Storm carded an opening round of 67, five under par, to join Robert Rock and Australian Marcus Fraser at the top of the leaderboard in Turin, as play was set to continue until 9pm local time to compensate for a two-hour delay in the morning.

The 32-year-old former British amateur champion from Hartlepool had not planned on playing this week, but a shoulder injury which contributed to his worst start to a season since 2005 forced his hand.

"I thought if I played well in Seville last week I would not play as it was my daughter Grace's second birthday yesterday, but I missed the cut and here I am," explained Storm, winner of the French Open in 2007. "I shot 67 so hopefully she'll forgive me in time."

That missed cut in Seville was his fifth in eight events in 2010, although the former Walker Cup winner admits he should never have played three of those tournaments due to the injury.

Storm added: "I was effectively out for four months with a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder – bizarrely suffered playing water polo – and I'm just trying to get some form ahead of the big tournaments this summer I injured myself in December but it was not diagnosed until I went to Abu Dhabi in January. I played three weeks in the Middle East and should never have played."

Storm also almost did not play in Turin either after contracting a viral infection, something, he maintains, which helped him to relax.

"To shoot five under was a great score, I didn't expect it so maybe that's why, maybe I was relaxed," he said.

"I played the front nine great but from the 11th to the 15th felt I was just trying to hang onto the score and dropped two shots before a good shot on the 15th perked me up." Two more good shots on the 18th set up an eagle three to finish.

Home attention was focused on the professional debut of Italian teenager Matteo Manassero, who joined the paid ranks this week following a superb amateur career. And the 17-year-old did not disappoint with a typically composed round of 70, two under par, outscoring playing partner Colin Montgomerie by six shots.

"He was very impressive, to do that as a 17-year-old," Montgomerie said of a playing partner almost 30 years his junior. "He has a good future ahead of him and I wish him all the best.

"My golf is non-explainable."

Manassero added: "It was a good round, I played steady for 18 holes. I was a little nervous, like always in big tournaments, but fortunately I'm getting used to it."

American Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim faces a 10-12 week lay-off after undergoing left thumb surgery on Wednesday.

The world No11 has pulled out of The Players Championship at Sawgrass.