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Phillips and Price Share Lead in Estoril Open
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Phillips and Price Share Lead in Estoril Open

England's Van Phillips took the first steps towards a Portuguese double by shooting a first round 69, three under par, to share the lead with Welshman Phil Price after the first round of the Estoril Open.

Phillips, winner of the Algarve Portuguese Open last month, started with three birdies in the first four holes to move to the top of the leaderboard at the windswept Penha Longa course at Sintra, Portugal. Two bogeys and two birdies later he was still leading as others faltered in the challenging conditions.

Indeed by the end of the day only 13 players had broken par with Phillips and Price the only two players with sub-70 rounds.

"It's a pity not every event is in Portugal," said Phillips. "It's tough out there, with the wind and the rain. There are a lot of risky shots where you have to aim 25-30 yards outside the greens at times and just hope it blows back."

Phillips, who won his maiden European Tour triumph, after a play-off with fellow Englishman John Bickerton, has spent the past fortnight on holiday in Barbados where, he claims, the windy conditions helped him prepare for this week.

He was later joined by Price, winner of the Portuguese Open here in 1994, who picked up four birdies with only one dropped shot on his way to a 69.

Price, who also holds the course record of 64, has not played since his joint second place finish in the Qatar Masters in February. A virus kept him out of the Algarve Portuguese Open and then he was again sidelined by a hand injury as he prepared for the Madeira Island Open.

"I didn't expect to play well here after six weeks off," he said. "I felt very rusty but just got things going today."

Phillips and Price lead by one from England's David Carter and Jonathan Lomas, South African Retief Goosen, and Ireland's Paul McGinley, who is playing in his first event in seven weeks since the birth of his daughter, Niamh.

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