Newport, Wales (My Sportsbook) - Thomas Bjorn, Nick Dougherty, David Frost and Alan McLean each fired rounds of five-under 66 on Thursday to share the opening-round lead of the Wales Open.

Pablo Larrazabal aced the seventh hole en route to a four-under 67. He is tied for fifth place with Taco Remkes and Fabrizio Zanotti at the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor Resort, the host of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Both captains for that event 16 months from now teed it up Thursday.

Colin Montgomerie, the leader of the European side, posted a two-under 69 and is tied for 19th place. American captain Corey Pavin only managed a one-over 72 and is in a group that shares 62nd.

Bjorn got off to a great start with a birdie at the first, but sputtered to a bogey at the par-four sixth. He closed his front nine with a birdie and got to two-under thanks to a birdie at the 11th.

The Dane ran into trouble again at the 12th and left with a bogey. That would be the final miscue for Bjorn.

He birdied three in a row from the 14th to get to four-under par for the championship. Bjorn tied for the lead with a birdie at the last for his round of 66.

"I played pretty nice all day," admitted Bjorn. "I played good, solid golf without being perfect. You have to stand up and concentrate on every shot. There's nothing given to you, even the shorter holes."

Dougherty broke into red figures with a birdie at the par-five second hole. Back-to-back birdies at nine and 10 put him on the leaderboard, but it wasn't until a late rally when Dougherty got his name atop it.

The Englishman birdied the 17th to get within one, then hit a spectacular chip at the closing hole to join the logjam in the lead.

Dougherty hasn't played well in some time. Since a tie for fourth at the Wales Open last year, Dougherty has only posted three top 10s, including a tie for fourth this year at the 3 Irish Open.

A trip to a familiar venue could change all of that.

"I've always enjoyed playing the Wales Open. It has been good to me," said Dougherty.

Frost made some nice par saves early on after poor drives. At the par-three seventh, Frost made his first birdie of the round. He followed that up with a birdie at eight and made the turn in 34.

Frost opened his back nine with consecutive birdies at 10 and 11. That run around the turn got him to the top of the leaderboard and as the only co- leader from Thursday's morning wave, he sat alone in first until the afternoon after a final birdie at 18.

Frost, who, at 49, has an eye on senior golf. He is one of the shorter hitters in the field, but after Christian Cevaer won last week at the European Open, Frost knows that he can't be discounted.

"Anything can happen on tour," joked Frost. "My short game was good today. Luckily, there's a bit of roll on the ball. It's a big golf course. The long hitters have to hit it straight. It's a good challenge."

McLean got off to a great start on Thursday with four birdies in his first 11 holes. He bogeyed the par-three 13th, then birdied Nos. 15 and 18 for his share of the lead.

Defending champion Scott Strange shot a 72 in round one.

Cevaer won't make it two weeks in a row on tour. He withdrew during Thursday's first round citing "physical and mental exhaustion." Cevaer was five-over through 12 holes.