John Daly, twice a major champion, has not troubled the scorers since, on that extraordinary day in July 1995, he won the British Open at St Andrews. Nor, for that matter has Richard Green, since he beat all the odds - not to mention Ian Woosnam and Greg Norman - in a play-off to win the Dubai Desert Classic in 1997.

But yesterday both men, perhaps significantly free of Ryder Cup qualifying worries, showed that success still lies within them, with rounds of 63, nine under par, to lead the BMW International Open after the first round.

They are one ahead of Dean Robertson, the Scot who is occupying 23rd place in the Ryder Cup points list and the very last player who can get into the team this week providing he wins and mass insanity overtakes the other challengers.

There were a number of significant moves, both positive and negative, among those trying to get into Europe's Ryder Cup team. But the one that may please the captain Sam Torrance the most was a five-under-par 67 from Sergio Garcia. On well-groomed greens and a soft sultry day, conditions were near-perfect for low scoring and the field went at it with a will. Only 35 of the 156 were over par, and yet early on Garcia was out of sorts.

He started at the 10th and after 12 holes was level par. This from a man whose only reason for being in Germany is to win, automatically qualify and thus allow Torrance to pick another wildcard. He was playing superbly and putting not too badly, but nothing was going in.

On his front nine he had seven chances from 10 feet or less, all for birdies and all missed. The pattern had been set at the 10th, where Garcia hit a six-iron second to three feet, and missed comprehensively. "I tried to keep it going," he said "even when nothing was happening for me. Finally it did."

On the fourth he holed a 12-footer and the relief was palpable. He then chipped in twice, from 60-feet at the sixth for an eagle, and played the last six holes in five-under.

If he can win, as he has twice on the US Tour this year, it would help Torrance enormously. As Garcia said: "There are two or three guys we need on the team and unfortunately we might be able to have only one of them."

Daly had his best ever start to a tournament, and his day would have been made had the hole in one he achieved at the 12th been at the 17th, where a car worth over £80,000 sterling was on offer.

Green's 63 was the best he has ever managed and after nine holes he must have wondered just what was going to be possible. He had needed only 10 putts for his outward half which, as he observed "gets you in the right frame of mind". There were only 24 in all, which gets you right in the frame.

Robertson admitted that he had not known about a win, in certain circumstances, getting him a place in the team. "I don't pay attention to things that might upset me," he said. "You compete to win and anything you achieve is a by-product of playing good golf."

Phillip Price, whose 10th and last automatic place is the most under threat, did not shine, admitting to tiredness and jetlag after the heat of Akron in Ohio last week. With strict par for this shortish course around 69, a 71 was not what he wanted, not with Miguel Angel Jimenez, 12th in the table, getting around in 67, the same score as Andrew Oldcorn, 13th.

Bernhard Langer, ninth, also had a 67, but Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal would not be content with their rounds of 70. The Irishman, in fact, was three-over after six, and contemplating a missed cut and a wasted journey, when he found some form and, more importantly, five birdies.

As for Olazabal, the prospect of not playing in the Ryder Cup when fit for the first time since 1987, is an increasingly unwelcome prospect - for him and everyone else.