RUSSIAN OPEN:AN ALBATROSS helped Sweden's Joakim Backstrom to claim a share of the lead after the first round of the Russian Open yesterday.

Starting from the 10th hole at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club, Backstrom had already birdied the 12th and 14th when he holed his second shot to the 561-yard par-five 15th.

"It was a four-iron from 233 yards," Backstrom said after two bogeys and four more birdies completed a round of 65, seven under par.

"I hit it well and it pitched on the green and then disappeared, but the people sitting around the green didn't really react.

"They gave me a clap, but not the kind of reaction that you would expect for an albatross, so I wasn't sure what happened.

"But when I walked up to the green it was there in the hole. Thank you very much! It was a great start, five under after six holes."

Backstrom's early clubhouse target was matched later in the day by fellow Swede Fredrik Henge, Finland's Roope Kakko and England's David Carter.

Carter partnered Nick Faldo to victory for England in the World Cup in New Zealand in 1998, the same year he won the Irish Open. But the 36-year-old has struggled to reproduce that form since and lost his card at the end of 2007 after finishing 172nd on the money list.

In six events this season he has made just one cut, but produced a flawless round, going out in 34 and then firing five birdies in a row from the first.

John Daly was five shots off the lead after recovering from a poor start to return an opening 70, two under par. He was two over par after seven holes, but, despite struggling with tendinitis in his left elbow and a hand injury, Daly hit back with three birdies in his last four holes to give himself a chance of making his second cut from four appearances in regular European Tour events this year.

"It could have been really bad," Daly admitted. "I probably hit two of the worst iron shots that I have ever hit. They just went dead right off the tee on two of the par threes.

Defending champion Per-Ulrik Johansson had to settle for a 69 after a poor drive on the 18th cost him a double-bogey six.

Gary Murphy was on the same three-under mark, despite sprinkling seven birdies on his round, including four on his back nine, having started on the 10th.

David Higgins had two bogeys and two birdies in a 72.

Former world tennis number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov returned an 89. Amateur Alexei Kovalev, the Montreal Canadiens star, staggered to a 99, 27 over par.