Italy's Francesco Molinari held a two-shot lead after the first round of the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Club here Thursday. Molinari's nine under par 63 pushed him clear of a chasing trio on 65 comprising Briton Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and Scot Alastair Forsyth. Molinari equalled the lowest round of his Tour career and will now be hoping there is no repeat of what happened after his last 63. That was at the Irish Open in May and he was disqualified the following day for signing for the wrong score in his second round. In the battle for The Race to Dubai, Lee Westwood improved his hopes with a 66 - despite being stung by a wasp - as current race leader Rory McIlroy finished with a 69. He had been four under after five. Rose dropped a shot on the long 12th but he was already five under when that came and three more birdies followed, the best of them a six iron to 18 inches on the 463 yard last - a hole that saw several sixes, a seven and also an eight. Welshman Bradley Dredge back on the course where he won the World Cup with Stephen Dodd in 2005 he had just eagled the previous hole to reach eight under, but then finished alongside Westwood by dropping to joint fifth. Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie made a welcome return to form with a four under 68. Scott takes early lead In China, Australian Craig Scott shot a six-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $500,000 Midea China Classic in Shunde Thursday. Australian Brad McIntosh and Brisbane-based Irishman Eddie Barr each shot 66 at the Royal Orchid International Golf Club in Shunde, south of Guangzhou in the southern China, at the third event of the inaugural OneAsia season. Stephen Leaney, the 2003 US Open runner-up and four-time European Tour winner, shot 67 to share fourth spot with Korean Sung Sea-woo and China's Gao Jie and Liu Junfeng. Chinese superstar Liang Wenchong carded a 69 to tie for ninth, while Zhang Lianwei, the 2006 champion, and playing partner Kurt Barnes of Australia both finished even
