Putting power puts Paul Lawrie in front

The 41-year-old former Open champion, in search of his first win since 2002, carded seven birdies in nine holes, including four in a row from the seventh to the tenth, in a bogey-free round to head the field alongside Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez, who also recorded a blemish-free round.

Lawrie put his impressive opening round down to his putting.

"I played solidly. I didn't play poorly, but I rolled the ball extremely well," said Lawrie. "The greens this week are some of the best we've seen all year and when the greens are fast and they roll well I tend to hole putts so I did that today."

The leading pair were one shot ahead of England's David Horsey, who was just one under after the front nine, but picked up five more birdies in his next seven holes to put himself firmly in contention.

Four players, including English pair Simon Khan and Richard Finch and Scotland's Gary Orr, were in a tie for fourth on five under. Orr had an impressive back nine, picking up four shots in three holes with a run of birdie-eagle-birdie at the 12th, 13th and 14th. Six players followed on four under, including Richard Bland of England, Scot David Drysdale and Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey.

Meanwhile, Scotland's George Murray and Scott Jamieson continued to show world No 9 Rory McIlroy the way at the Egyptian Open presented by SODIC as both men moved into contention to take home the $40,000 first prize at the JW Marriott Mirage City Golf Club in Cairo.

Respectively ninth and 15th on the current Challenge Tour Rankings, Murray and Jamieson can secure one of the top cards to The 2011 European Tour with victory in the event.

Both players posted second round scores of three-under-par 69 yesterday to move to the top of the leaderboard, with Murray lying in a share of second spot on eight-under-par 136 and Jamieson tied for fourth on six under.

England's Lee Slattery leads on nine under, with Alessandro Tadini in a share of second alongside Murray.

"I have been just ploughing along really and playing solidly," said Murray. "That suits me, to be honest, because I don't like to think too far ahead of myself - I get too excited if I start thinking about winning with two rounds to go!"

McIlroy continued to battle against the swing changes he is trying to implement as he struggled to a two-over-par 74 to post a halfway total of one-over 145 and lie in a share of 42nd place.