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Thursday, 24 August 2000
Lara, who finished joint fifth last year after closing with two rounds of 66, has a habit of making the early pace. In superb weather, he was out in the morning and reached the turn in 32 shots with five birdies and grabbed three more in an inward 33.
"I played very well," he said. "I've shot 65 here before so I know the course well."
The field of 36 invitees, who will play all four rounds in a pro-am format with a cut at the end of the third day, found the course still somewhat wet after a three-hour storm on Monday, particularly the greens, which were slow.
But it didn't stop 24 players beating par, including David Higgins, No.1 on the Challenge Tour rankings, who carded a 70, while his nearest rival, Mikael Lundberg, shot 76.
Dodd's 67 was particularly notable as he suffered a migraine attack yesterday which forced him to miss his practise round and take to his bed, while Scotland's Andrew Raitt, another to play the course 'blind' after a long train journey from Zurich, shot 68.
