Skold and Romero lead in Tenerife

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD GB & Ire unless stated -5J Skold (Swe), A Romero (Arg) -3 T Moore (SA), M Warren, D Patrick, S Little -2 L Slattery, R Chapman, J Spence, G Bourdy (Fra), M Roe, M Kirk (SA), P Sjoland (Swe), P Baker, J Bickerton, R Gonzalez (Arg), S Hurd

Sweden's Johan Skold and Andres Romero of Argentina share the lead in the Canaries Open after the first round.

The pair shot five-under-par rounds of 66 to lead by two strokes from Marc Warren, David Patrick, Stuart Little and Titch Moore of South Africa.

Britain's Mark Roe and Jamie Spence are in a group of 10 players one stroke further back at the Abama Course.

Skold needs a good result to retain his Tour card. He is currently ranked 126th - 10 places away from the safety zone.

The 30-year-old three-putted the last to bogey and take the edge off what was otherwise a faultless display.

A top-two finish on Sunday would guarantee his card for 2006 but he said: "You just have to try to keep it out of your mind."

Romero holds 10th place on the Challenge Tour and is virtually assured of full 2006 playing rights.

"The European Tour is every golfer's dream from Argentina," he said.

"I am so close to it and, as my round shows, playing well enough to be on it."