GIRONA, Spain (AP) — Eddie Pepperell of England shot a 4-under 68 for a one-shot lead after the first round of the Spanish Open on Thursday.

Spanish players Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez were among eight chasing Pepperell at the PGA Catalunya Resort golf course.

Garcia, coming off a third-place finish at the Players Championship at Sawgrass, shrugged off jet lag to put himself in contention for his second Spanish Open title — 12 years after his first.

Garcia says, “The course is tough and the fairways are some of the tightest we have played all year.”

A further eight players trailed Pepperell by two strokes, including former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, who was playing for the first time since January because of back and neck problems.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.