MUNICH, Germany -- Four players shot a 6-under 66 Thursday to share the lead after the opening round of the BMW International Open, and John Daly struggled to an even-par 72 in a round that included five wild holes on the back nine.

Australian Peter O'Malley, chasing his first European Tour victory since the 2001 English Open, had a bogey-free round to share the top of the leaderboard with South Africa's Anton Haig, Singapore's Mardan Mamat and Rafa Echenique of Argentina.

"This is the time of year where you really want to be playing good golf and that's what I've sort of set my goal for throughout the year," O'Malley said.

Five players were a shot off the lead at 67, and six others shot 68. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Retief Goosen were three strokes back, while Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey shot 70.

Daly had two double bogeys, a bogey and two birdies in a span starting on the 13th hole. The double bogey on the 16th came when the American's ball rolled down a hill twice. He was forced to hit out of a trap, sending rocks shooting out of the water.

"Just got some bad breaks. What can you do?" Daly asked. "I am hitting better than I am scoring."

Daly still holds the tournament record for lowest score of 27-under 261 in 2001. Since then, organizers have thickened the Munich Eichenried rough to toughen up an easy course.

The globe-trotting O'Malley, the 42-year-old former Scottish Open champion, flies home most months to see his children.

"I'm doing a lot more travelling now my kids are schooling in Australia," said O'Malley. "I played three weeks, go home for a couple and I'm just trying to manage my time better. I don't play much when I have my time off, so I just feel like I want to play when I'm out here, which is always good.

"There's a good run of tournaments now and these are the weeks that you want to play good golf," he added. "Obviously I have to try to get into The Open at some stage - avoiding the qualifying would be great."

Meanwhile, Lynn was in a great position at 7 under par after 14 holes of his round, but it all went wrong on the next. Putting from off the green for eagle, he sent it off the other side into a water hazard and finished with a double-bogey 7.

"I felt like putting a noose round my neck and hanging myself up," said Lynn, who finished the day one shot off the pace. "I wanted to chip the ball, but there was no grass under the ball, so I had to putt through 20 feet of fringe and just hit it too hard."

He then three-putted the eighth, but came back with a birdie to be in a tie for fifth.

Lynn was far from alone, however, in messing up a promising round.

Casey reached 5 under par, but double bogeyed the 16th after his pitch spun back in the water and three-putted the par-5 last for another bogey. Casey's biggest problem, though, was hay fever and he even called on caddie Craig Connolly to read putts for him.

"I can't see anything," he commented. "I didn't take whatever substance we're allowed to take now, so that was a mistake by me."

He hinted at one by Connolly as well, though.

"I had 9-iron in my hand on the 16th and he convinced me it was a wedge. I should have stuck with what I felt."

The caddie said a gust of wind caused the ball to come up short.

Order of Merit leader Jimenez, sixth in the U.S. Open on Sunday, had a hat trick of late birdies in his 69.

Paired with Langer were his young compatriot Martin Kaymer and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, 10th and ninth, respectively, in the race for Ryder Cup places. Kaymer, despite worries about the health of his mother, returned an impressive 68, but McDowell could do no better than 71.

Montgomerie, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines and needs a huge summer just to get back into Ryder Cup contention, is still waiting for the round that might kickstart things.

"My confidence is low and I need to get it up," said the Scot, whose 70 was no mean effort really given that he played the Telus Skins Game in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday against Greg Norman, Fred Couples and Camilo Villegas.

Montgomerie won nothing, but was presumably handsomely rewarded for his attendance. Winning nothing this weekend will concern him a lot more if it happens.

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