Gleneagles, Scotland, June 21: High winds resulted in high scores as only six out of 156 golfers made under par at the Diageo Championship in Gleneagles.
Scottish pair Alastair Forsyth and Marc Warren along with Australian Brad Kennedy lead the £1.2m championships on two-under-par 70 to share a one-shot lead. It was the first time since the North West of Ireland Open 10 months ago that nobody was able to break 70 in the opening round of a European Tour event. Argentine Gustavo Rojas, Spain's Ivo Giner and England's Iain Pyman head the chasing pack while last year's champion Adam Scott is a further shot behind along with another favourite, Colin Montgomerie. "Four putts from 20ft, that's cost me two shots",said Scott, who was reliving his final hole nightmare. "I got the ball round nicely otherwise and played very nicely from tee to green. "It was a day when you're not going to get a lot of chances and it leaves a sour taste to finish like that".

Promising golfer Zane Scotland finished his first-ever round as a professional with a level par 72 to join Montgomerie and Scott in joint seventh.

The 20-year-old Englishman was delighted with his efforts. "If someone had given me that at the start I would have snapped their hand off," he said.

"I thought I was going to be nervous, but I was quite relaxed actually. I hit a real beauty off the first tee and was pretty calm after that".

Meanwhile, England's Ian Poulter suffered one of his worst days on the European Tour.

The 27-year-old, who shot a course record-equalling 63 in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden just over a week ago, produced an 11-over-par 83. "I just had to laugh",said the 27-year-old from Milton Keynes.

"I've had a very bad day, but anybody under par has had an unbelievable one. Shooting two under must be like eight under on a normal day".

Bureau Report