NAKHABINO, Russia -- Joakim Backstrom had an albatross in a 7-under 65 Thursday to share a four-way lead after the opening round of the Inteco Russian Open, where John Daly struggled with a hand injury to shoot a 70.

Backstrom is tied with David Carter of England, Roope Kakko of Finland and Fredrik Henge of Sweden. Backstrom, also of Sweden, is looking for his second European Tour title.

Daly, who won the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship, has recently been struggling with his form, missing the cut at the BMW International Open in June and at the Open Championship last Friday.

He birdied three of his final four holes Thursday, but still felt the effects of a right hand injury.

"It's hurting pretty bad," Daly said. "But luckily the ground here is soft so I can get through the ball. That wasn't possible last week. If the course had been hard this week, I probably wouldn't have been able to play."

The 42-year-old American opened with two bogeys, followed by a birdie. Another bogey and a birdie left him 1 over at the turn.

"It could have been really bad," he said. "I probably hit two of the worst iron shots that I have ever hit on Tour. I struggled a little bit, but managed to get it to 2 under. I think it's the best that I could have scored."

The 30-year-old Backstrom, who started on the back nine, had two birdies before he holed the par-5 15th with his second shot from 233 yards.

"I hit it well and it pitched on the green and then disappeared," he said. "I walked up to the green and it (ball) was there in the hole. It was a great start -- 5 under after six holes, which was great."

Kakko had 10 birdies and missed a par putt on the 18th that would have given him the outright lead, while Carter and Henge both had bogey-free rounds.

"I actually missed a few tee shots on the first six holes, but managed to make birdies from where I was," Henge said. "And after that, it was great. I just missed one green today and made a lot of chances."

Darren Fichardt of South Africa had seven birdies and a bogey in a 66 for fifth place. He was followed by a group of 10 players tied for sixth.

Former top-ranked Russian tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov and NHL forward Alex Kovalev, who received wild cards from the organizers, are last at 17 over and 27 over, respectively.

Starting from the 10th hole at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club, Backstrom had already birdied the 12th and 14th when he holed his second shot to the 561-yard, par-5 15th.

"It was a 4-iron from 233 yards," Backstrom said after two bogeys and four more birdies completed his round of 65. "I hit it well and it pitched on the green and then disappeared, but the people sitting around the green didn't really react.

"They gave me a clap, but not the kind of reaction that you would expect for an albatross so I wasn't sure what happened," he added. "But when I walked up to the green it was there in the hole. Thank you very much!"

Backstrom has made just two cuts in his last 10 events and added: "I have to be honest and say that I have been playing rubbish, so anything in red numbers is great for me, and to shoot 7 under is perfect.

"I have just been struggling with every part of the game," he added. "It seems that one week I can't putt, then the next week I can't hit my irons."

Carter partnered with Nick Faldo for victory for England in the World Cup in New Zealand in 1998, the same year he won the Irish Open. But the 36-year-old has struggled to reproduce that form since, and lost his card at the end of 2007 after finishing 172nd on the money list.

In six events this season he has made just one halfway cut, but produced a flawless round today, going out in 34 and then firing five birdies in a row from the first.

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