Dunhill Links Championship: Flawless Bjorn forges ahead

Published on Thursday 1 October 2009 17:57

THOMAS Bjorn did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland today.

Bjorn, non-playing captain of the Continental Europe team hammered by Britain and Ireland, began the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with an eight-under-par 64 at Kingsbarns.

It gave the 38-year-old Dane a two-stroke lead over England's Ross McGowan and Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin – and was only one shot outside his lowest-ever score on the European Tour.

Bjorn's last trip to Scotland was for the Johnnie Walker Championship five weeks ago and on that occasion he opened with an horrendous 82.

In his defence, though, that was his first event for nearly two months, a lay-off caused by dizziness and fatigue so bad that he was sent for a brain scan.

This time Bjorn – perhaps appropriately paired in the pro-celebrity tournament with the chairman and chief executive officer of a healthcare company – had four birdies in a back nine 32, eagled the 516-yard third and picked up further strokes on the fourth and sixth.

"It was a hard week last week – I spent a lot of time thinking and using the head – but I got inspired by it," he stated.

"I started doing a little bit of stuff with Pete Cowen on Tuesday, drove the ball fantastic all day – and for the first time in a long time started rolling in a few putts.

"It's just nice to walk off and feel like for once I got what I deserved."

Bjorn is chairman of the players' committee and added: "It's tough times for the Tour and I put a lot of effort into the captaincy as well, so it's nice to get these things out of the way and now concentrate a little bit on the career I still have ahead of me.

Maybin, so close to his first European Tour win last December when he lost a play-off for the South African Open to Richard Sterne, was also playing at Kingsbarns and did not drop a stroke either in his 66.

McGowan, third on his last start at the European Masters a month ago, was at St Andrews and keen to take advantage of the relatively calm conditions as much as he could because he will be at the far tougher Carnoustie on Saturday when 40mph winds are predicted.

A 50-foot putt at the second was his highlight and 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."

Best score at Carnoustie was the five under 67 by Richie Ramsay, the Scot called into the event when Paul Casey pulled out injured late last week and needing a top 10 finish to secure his European Tour card for next season.

Most of the big names were also at Carnoustie, but they had mixed fortunes.

Rory McIlroy, with a chance to go top of the money list this weekend, was perfectly content with his 68, the same as fellow Ulsterman Darren Clarke.

Padraig Harrington bogeyed the last – actually the 478-yard ninth – for 70, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie could do no better than 73 and Robert Karlsson and Nick Dougherty, the last two winners of the title, slumped to 76 and 78 respectively.

Montgomerie can only hope that October 1 next year goes rather better. It is the opening day of the Ryder Cup.

He was fighting an uphill battle from the moment he hit his opening drive into a bunker and failed to get out first time.

That led to a double bogey six on the 466-yard 10th – Dougherty did the same – and a first top 10 finish since June last year looks a tall order again for the 46-year-old, now 250th in the world.

Harrington is the top-ranked player in the 168-strong field at seventh and he was back, of course, on the links where his first major title came two years ago.

"When you arrive there are little things that remind you – I was in this position or that position," he said. "I think on every hole there was something that jogged the memory.

"I had high expectations going out today and it took me a while to get my head around it."