YORK’S Simon Dyson had to show club class to avoid being too detached from the leaders after the first day of the Welsh Open.

Dyson, who went into the European Tour event at Celtic Manor buoyed by a brilliant third place behind world number one and two Luke Donald and Lee Westwood in the BMW PGA Championship, was far from at his best yesterday.

He opened the first round by dropping a shot on the par-four first and doubled his disadvantage with a bogey on the eighth.

But the inward nine of the course where Europe so masterfully toppled the Americans to win the Ryder Cup last September proved more responsive to the 33-year-old Malton & Norton Golf Club star.

He carded his first birdie of the day on the par-five 11th and two holes later was back level after picking up a shot on the par-three. But he suffered his third bogey on the very next hole.

A bogey on the 16th worsened matters but Dyson birdied the par three 17th and a five at the last left him with a one-over-par 72.