Els misses record by one shot

Ernie Els shot a 12-under-par round of 60 to open the defence of his title here at the Heineken Classic. He flirted with a 59, but a dropped shot on 15 cost him the chance of joining three other men in breaking the 60-barrier.

"I had it on my mind all the way through. I hit some really good shots on the front nine, got that eagle to finish the front nine on seven-under and I was trying hard to get to 59, which I have never done," he said. "I felt more pressure on those last four holes than I have felt in a long time."

Al Geiberger was the first to shoot a 59, at the Memphis Classic in 1977, followed by Chip Beck at the Las Vegas Invitational in 1991 and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Els took only 25 putts and made 17 out of 18 greens in regulation to become only the sixth man on the European Tour to card a 60 on a par-72 course and beat his previous best of 61 at the Dubai Desert Classic in 1994.

Els, vying for a hat-trick of Heineken Classics, holds a four-shot lead over New Zealand's Michael Campbell, who scored a faultless 64, one shot ahead of his compatriot Mahal Pearce, the Australians Wade Ormsby and Craig Carmichael, and Germany's Tobias Dier. Six Englishmen, including Paul Casey and Nick Faldo, hit 68.

"I'm very pleased," Faldo said. "It is a strategy golf course and you need to do good things. You have to go out with the right intentions. You have to be very cagey, smart and patientand take what you can get."

HEINEKEN CLASSIC (Melbourne) Leading first-round scores (Aus unless stated): 60 E Els (SA). 64 M Campbell (NZ). 65 M Pearce, W Ormsby, T Dier (Ger), C Carmichael. 66 R Green, P O'Malley, P Fowler, P Sheehan, A Scott. 67 G Paddison (NZ), C Parry, C Spence, P Hedblom (Swe), G Evans (Eng), N Flanagan, P Hanson (Swe). 68 S Gallacher (Sco), N Faldo (Eng), M Ecob, D Howell (Eng), G Dodd, T Suzuki (Japan), I Poulter (Eng), M Long (NZ), P Casey (Eng), N Green, S Collins, B Davis (Eng), G Owen (Eng). Selected: 69 J Van de Velde (Fr), S Appleby (Eng), I Pyman (Eng). 70 B Lane (Eng). 73 P Lawrie (Sco). 77 I Woosnam (Wal).