Ramsay just two off pace as Lee also makes fine start

RICHIE Ramsay produced one of his best rounds since winning the South African Open in December to lie just two shots off the lead after the opening round at Wentworth.

The Aberdonian, who spent some time in Atlanta recently so that he could get in some decent work on his short game, shot a four-under-par 67 over the West Course to be joint-third in the European Tour's flagship event after the opening day. In a round where the highs and lows came at the beginning and the end, Ramsay had three birdies and a bogey in the opening six holes and also in the last six holes.

The 26-year-old, who tied for 13th in the BMW Italian Open earlier in the month, leads an 11-strong Scottish contingent by a couple of shots from Stephen Gallacher and Craig Lee.

Handed an invite for the event earlier in the week, Gallacher, playing at the venue where his uncle, Bernard, was the club professional for a number of years, bagged five birdies in 11 holes as the Linlithgow-based former Dunhill Links champion also got off to an encouraging start.

Lee, who got into the field after topping the Tartan Tour order of merit last season, showed he is determined to make the most of a rare European Tour appearance since he lost his card a couple of years ago.

He gave back a shot gained straight away thanks to a birdie-3 at the first by taking a bogey at the fifth, but back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th meant he'd put in a good day's work.

Now Lee, who hits the ball far enough to have a chance on a course like this, will be hoping he can keep up the good work today, having admitted earlier in the week that he's got to make the most of such opportunities in his bid to get back on to the main European circuit.

Paul Lawrie, who had an eagle-3 at the fourth, opened with a level-par 71, as did David Drysdale, while former PGA champions Colin Montgomerie and Scott Drummond both had 73s. Drummond, the winner in 2004, was three-under-par after eight holes but saw his round derailed by a double-bogey at the 11th and an even more damaging triple-bogey 8 at the 17th.

Gary Orr and Peter Whiteford signed for 74s, the latter's card including a double-bogey at the 15th, with Marc Warren and Alastair Forsyth both a further shot off the pace at the end of the opening round.

Warren's eagle at the last followed a poor run of five bogeys in six holes.