England's Gary Evans takes a four-shot lead into today's second round of the German Open after smashing the course record at the Sporting Club in Berlin. The 30year-old from Worthing fired a brilliant, 10-under-par 62, the lowest round of his career, to beat the previous record by four shots.

His stunning effort, with 10 birdies and no dropped shots on the tough Nick Faldo-designed course, gave him a comfortable cushion over home favourite Alex Cejka, New Zealand's Greg Turner and Argentinian Jorge Berendt who all posted 66s.

Padraig Harrington fired an opening-round 69 despite playing his "worst golf for months" in Berlin.

Paul McGinley was disappointed with a two-under-par 70 after dropping shots on the closing holes.

Harrington has enjoyed a quietly successful season, missing just one cut in his 12 tournaments on the European Tour with a best finish of second in the Italian Open.

Yet Harrington (27), who finished second here last year, was far from happy with his game after relying on a hot putter to keep his round going.

"That was the worst I've played from tee to green in the last three months, but comfortably the best I've putted," said Harrington.

"I got it going early on but really didn't play well at the end and I'm not particularly happy with the way I'm hitting the ball."

Harrington had a great chance to win his second tour title here 12 months ago but dropped a shot on the last and eventually finished just one adrift of Stephen Allan.

"I didn't know I was leading the tournament, so you can't think of it as one that got away - although I was disappointed to bogey the last," he added.

Cejka delighted the home supporters with his round of 66, six-under-par, which contained seven birdies and - temporarily - equalled the course record.

But Evans' round confirmed the potential he displayed as a rookie on tour seven years ago that had the experts tipping him to be the next Faldo, set to do great things in the game.

"I don't think I'm ever going to be the next Faldo or Langer as some people were predicting, because I've lost too much time," he said. "But after being in the doldrums I've got no problems at all and that's such a nice thing to say after all the things I've been through."

After a successful amateur career with consecutive wins in the Brabazon and Lytham trophies, Evans seemed destined for glory and won almost £150,000 in his first year on tour in 1992.

A persistent wrist injury halted his progress, however, and even after surgery in 1994 he struggled to regain his form until deciding to start from scratch with a new coach, manager and clubs in 1997.

"I was in the doldrums for two years until making those changes and this is a result of two years' work rather than just one day," added Evans, who has yet to win a European Tour title.

"The wrist problem affected me for three years from 1993-96 and after surgery the problem was the mental scars.

"People were writing about me as the next Faldo and to go from there to 100th in the Order of Merit was not very pleasant and hopefully that's all behind me.

"My wife Sam has been working very hard trying to get me to relax because I've been stressed out as we're moving house and a few other things, and I'm only playing here because she suggested we come with our daughter, Olivia, and treat the whole thing as a holiday."

One person definitely not in the holiday spirit was Andrew Coltart who was forced to withdraw after an opening 76.

The 29-year-old Surrey-based Scot picked up a mysterious rib injury earlier in the week and, with the US Open next week, didn't want to make it any worse.

"I was thinking about next week and couldn't concentrate on this week," Coltart said. "I'm really mad because I was starting to play well.

"I was really looking forward to coming here because it's a great tournament and a great course. You think the pain might go away but you keep hitting worse shots. I couldn't follow through and I could have walked off after nine holes.

"It's still sore when I hit the ball and I don't want to take any painkillers in case I do more damage and don't feel it."

Cejka was another player suffering a few aches and pains after picking up a back injury three weeks ago but he will have felt a lot better yesterday.

"I was swinging on the range at the Benson & Hedges and felt something sore in my spine and had to pull out one hour before my tee time," Cejka explained.

"I went back to Germany and got an injection to help the muscle cramps in the fifth vertebrae and I'm still a bit stiff and getting daily treatment. I hope it will go quickly but you never know."

Pre-tournament favourite Bernhard Langer could only manage a level par 72 as he hunts an 11th title on home soil while another Ryder Cup player, Italian Costantino Rocca, had a 69.