-6 A Coltart (Sco) M A Jiminez (Spa) H Stenson (Swe) -5 L Westwood (Eng) A Hansen (Den) L Oosthuizen (SA) R Dinwiddie (Eng) B Rumford (Aus)
Selected others: -4 P Broadhurst (Eng) N Dougherty (Eng) R Karlsson (Swe), -3 R Goosen (SA)
 Coltart heads some impressive names at the top of the leaderboard
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Scotland's Andrew Coltart has made a strong start to the Qatar Masters, ending the first round in a three-way tie for the lead.
Coltart is joined at six under by Spain's Miguel Angel Jiminez and Sweden's Henrik Stenson after the trio fired opening rounds of 66.
Lee Westwood and Abu Dhabi runner-up Louis Oosthuizen are among a pack of players one shot back on five under.
Sweden's Robert Karlsson is four under, while Colin Montgomerie is one under.
The highlight of Coltart's round was an eagle on the par-four 16th as he evoked memories of his inaugural victory in this tournament in 1998.
However, of the leading trio Stenson was the early pace setter, taking advantage of calm morning conditions to card his score for a clubhouse lead.
The Swede, who won this tournament in 2006 and was runner-up last year, was joined at the top of the leaderboard by both Coltart and Jiminez, who had to battle much fiercer, windy conditions in the afternoon.
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I was giving myself birdie chances... which was quite pleasing as the wind was getting quite tricky
Andrew Coltart
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Jiminez had a chance to take the outright lead on the last but missed the chance to record his seventh birdie of the round by missing his eight-foot putt.
Westwood is well placed to mount a challenge just one shot off the pace thanks in part to birdies on the 16th and 18th.
Oosthuizen, who finished tied-second to Paul Casey in Abu Dhabi last week, posted a card featuring six birdies and one bogey.
Montgomerie, who is rumoured to be a strong candidate for captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team for 2010, played a round of two halves, making four birdies on the front nine but three bogies on the back.
Defending champion Adam Scott started slowly with a one over par round of 73.
Afterwards Coltart said: "I have good memories in Qatar. I have managed to make the odd birdie around this course but I have also had the odd disaster when it has been pretty windy.
"The eagle at 16 was the highlight as I was able to drive the green to 10 feet and hole the putt.
"I was also giving myself the birdie chances; there were four more inside 10 feet, which was quite pleasing as the wind was getting quite tricky."
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