Retief Goosen will take a two-shot lead into the second round of the Belgian Open at a wintery Royal Zoute in Belgium. The South African fired a superb six-under-par 65 despite freezing wind and rain on the testing links that had him wearing all the clothes he could get his hands on.

"This is much colder than the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews," said Goosen, who ended the day two ahead of Spain's Jose Rivero, Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone and Scot Dean Robertson.

"This is the weather I was expecting in Scotland and had packed for, this week I packed for much warmer weather," Goosen said.

"I've got everything on I possibly can, T-shirt, shirt, jumper, waterproof suit, handwarmers in the pocket. I'm wearing everything I've got in my suitcase. It's not my sort of weather."

Goosen has been enjoying a superb season with victory in the French Open and nine other top 10 finishes taking him to fourth in the Order of Merit, a run of success he credits to Belgian sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout.

"I see Jos about four times a week and he has definitely helped a lot," Goosen added. "I decided not to work with a coach because I think my swing is good enough and I just need to think a bit better around the course."

Robertson's 67 came as a welcome boost ahead of his debut in the World Cup of golf alongside Colin Montgomerie next month.

"The game's almost back," said the 29-year-old from Paisley who won the Italian Open earlier this year. "The World Cup is my main focus and as long as my game keeps improving Mr Monty will be chuffed!"

Further down the leaderboard, former Ryder Cup star Joakim Haeggman put the worst year of his career behind him as he made a last-ditch attempt to retain his card.

The 30-year-old became the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup when he qualified for the European team in 1993. Great things were expected of him after his impressive display at the Belfry, where he defeated John Cook in the singles, but he has since struggled to make a major impact.

He currently lies 123rd in the Order of Merit and needs a top 10 finish to have a chance of making the top 115 in order to retain his card. His opening 68 certainly got him off on the right foot.

"It's been the worst year of my career," Haeggman said. "Only in the last month have I started to play more like my old self.

"My clubs were stolen at the British Masters last year and it takes a long time to get used a new set, especially the putter which had me in the top 10 a few times.

"Then my father had a mild heart attack and two strokes in six weeks so that made for a pretty depressing winter. Thankfully he is now better, as good as he can be, and nothing has happened for the last eight months."

Johnstone, languishing in 131st in the Order of Merit, hopes he has sorted out the putting problems that had dogged him for four-and-a-half years.

"I've had just two good putting weeks in that time and won a tournament and lost in a play-off," said Johnstone, who only needed 26 putts in his 67.

"I had quite a few moments when I thought of doing something else for a living. I considered being a window cleaner on extremely tall buildings for a while! No, never that bad really but it's been driving me absolutely crazy.

"I've tried everything. I've tried left-handed putters, I putted in two tournaments this year one-handed. I would shove it up my nostril and putt with my ears if I thought it was going to work.

"Then Simon Holmes got my putting sorted out and now I'm looking forward to playing again. I haven't felt like that for years. I have three more years exemption but I'd like to keep my card without it, it's a pride thing."

Star attraction John Daly carded a level-par 71 after three-putting the last while Darren Clarke fired a 73, a score matched by defending champion Lee Westwood who admitted he was feeling the effects of his limited appearances since the Ryder Cup.

"I played like somebody who has only had three competitive rounds since the Ryder Cup," the world number five said. "I take time to get it back after I take some time off.

"I play well when I play a lot but there is the other side of the coin, you have to take days off. Hopefully I can get back into the groove this week with two other big ones coming up."

Daly was delighted with his ball-striking but admitted his putting left a lot to be desired.

"I hit it great all day, I just couldn't make anything," said the 33-year-old former Open champion. "It was so cold this morning I couldn't wake up. I missed a one foot putt on the 10th which was my first hole.

"I'm loving the way I'm hitting the ball but I have to go and do a bit of work on the putter."

Best of the Irish was Des Smyth, who fired a one-under-par 70.