Low scoring start to Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Bjorn leads way with a 64 at Kingsbarns

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
with additional words by Colin Farquharson
Thomas Björn’s sparkling 64 saw him surge to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today.
Björn, who last week captained Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy carded six birdies and an eagle in eventually signing for a splendid eight under par at the Kingsbarns course.
The Dane’s terrific round also contained a putt for a 63 that trickled past the edge of the ninth hole - his last, having begun on the 10th - which, had it dropped, would have equalled his lowest-ever score on the European Tour.
“In these conditions, that's probably the easier of the three golf courses, but when you drive it as well as I did today the golf course became very simple,” he said.
“I started rolling in a few putts and everything was just kind of coming together. You find out on links golf if you're playing well or not, and you know, I played well today.”
Björn refused to dwell on the putt that shaved the edge of the hole on the 558yd par-5 ninth, instead focusing on the many plus points of a round that came off the back of a busy week fulfilling the role of captain of the Continental European team at the Vivendi Trophy.
“I had a couple of more chances, but you do when you play well. It's just nice to walk off and feel like I got what I deserved.
“I work hard and I'm determined with my golf but there's got to be the freedom and the joy in the game. Hey, days like this certainly help.”
Bjorn’s bogey-free round left him two shots clear of Gareth Maybin, whose 66 on the same course gave him a share of second place with Ross McGowan.
Maybin was also delighted to be in the hunt after a low opening round. “I’ve taken two weeks off and its done me a world of good,” he said.
“I changed my putter, changed the grip on my putter and also the way I go about putting. Everything feels pretty good and I'm quite relaxed.”
McGowan, third on his last start at the Omega European Masters a month ago, was at St Andrews and keen to take advantage of the relatively calm conditions on the Old Course.
The 27 year old, who birdied six of his last 10 holes, stated: "That was the lowest round I've had on the Old Course from the 30-odd times I've played here."
A shot further back on five under par were no fewer than six players in a tie for third. Of those, arguably the highlight was Richie Ramsay’s superb 67 at Carnoustie.
The Aberdonian rookie, filling in as a replacement for the injured Paul Casey, putted solidly and admitted afterwards he relished the chance to play the unique pro-am format that afforded him a sense of freedom and enjoyment.
“I had an open mind to just go out there to put a score together, and it was good fun,” he said.
“I hit it really solid all day and I made a few putts. I've been working really hard on the putting, which is key to any good score out here.
“The format is good,” he added. “It gives the event a unique credibility and obviously you play three fantastic courses. It's good to have maybe a bit more relaxation on the golf course.”
Also hot on the heels of Bjorn at five under is fellow Dane Jeppe Huldahl, who notched his maiden win on The European Tour back in April when he landed the 2009 Celtic Manor Wales Open.
Huldahl has, however, been celebrating the arrival of his first child but admitted it is still satisfying to shoot such a low score.
“I just had a little baby four weeks ago,” he said. “It was my first, a girl. My mind has not really been on golf but its still nice to shoot five under.”
Further down a congested leaderboard on four under par was, amongst others, Rory McIlroy.
The 20 year old was delighted to negotiate Carnoustie with a sub-par round that keeps in the upper reaches of the standings.
“I remember shooting 69 here last year in a pretty tough day and to shoot 68 today, that's pretty good,” he commented.
“I'm very comfortable with my game at the minute. It's a great start to the week and hopefully I can build on it and carry it forward for the next three days."
Second placed McGowan tops the Team Competition after he and partner Richard Bevan, the Chairman of the League Managers Association, combined beautifully to produce a team score of 11 under par.
Scotswatch: Fresh as paint rookie pros Keir McNicoll, Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear had contrasting fortunes. Carnoustie's McNicoll, who won the St Andrews Links Trophy last year, returned to the Old Course to shoot a four-under-68 and was third among the returns at that venue. McNicoll obviously carried on where he left off in the European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at The Oxfordshire last week when he shot a last-round 65 to qualify by a single shot for Stage 2.
Walker Cup man Wallace Booth matched the par of 72 at the Old Course which, of course, he knows very well.
But not so happy with their day out at St Andrews were David Drysdale and Paul Lawrie. They both shot 75s which puts them a long way from the lead on a windless day of generally low scoring.
At Carnoustie, Colin Montgomerie and Gary Orr would have preferred a shot or two fewer than 73s which are not disastrous by any means but rookie Ramsay showed the low-scoring potential over even so tough a track as Carnoustie.
It's not going well for new pro Gavin Dear at the moment. One week the Scone man is the 12th best amateur in the world according to the R&A WAGR, then a short time later he has failed to survive the Stage 1 test of the Q School at the Oxfordshire.
Today Gavin saddled himself with a 76 at Carnoustie.