MACCLESFIELD’s Jamie Donaldson struggled in testing conditions when the new European Tour campaign opened in Taiwan yesterday (Thursday) with the BMW Asian Open.

Donaldson, who won more than £200,000 last season as he gained his full card by finishing second on the Challenge Tour, shot a six-over-par 78 and needed to pull out the stops today in his hopes to make the cut.

There were no such problems for Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal who had been advised by his caddy to seek help for his ailing game last month and appeared to have found the solution with a 70.

He trailed two shots off the lead held by France’s Sebastien Delagrange.

Delagrange, twice a winner on the Challenge Tour this year, held the lead all day after going out in the first group at 6.40am local time and carding a 68 despite bogeys at his last two holes.

He held a one-shot lead over English duo Gary Clark and Jamie Spence and Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone, with Olazabal one of five players a shot further back.

Olazabal, who consulted Lee Westwood’s former coach Pete Cowen at the Volvo Masters after his caddy’s plea at the Madrid Open, was delighted with his score in such difficult conditions.

‘‘I’m very pleased, I think it’s a good round. The wind was very strong and it was difficult to score well today,’’ the double Masters champion said.