Bjorn among Links leaders
Source: Agencies |
October 9, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
EUROPE Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn shot a 6-under 66 at St Andrews to take a share of the first-round lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday.
Bjorn, one of captain Colin Montgomerie's five backups in the victory over America at Celtic Manor, led eight other members of the team in their return to strokeplay.
The Links Championship was played over three courses, and Bjorn was tied at the top of the leaderboard with Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina, who also played at St Andrews, Maarten Lafeber of the Netherlands, who shot 66 at Carnoustie, and Martin Laird of Scotland, who produced the same score at Kingsbarns.
Six players carded 67, and 14 more shot 68, including US PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer.
Germany's Kaymer was closest to Bjorn at 4 under at Kingsbarns. He said he felt duty bound to recover quickly from the celebrations.
"I was still very tired," Kaymer said.
"But now after the Ryder Cup it's important for me to win this year's Race to Dubai. That is my priority since I have obviously a very good chance of winning it."
England's Ross Fisher shot a 69 to get to within three shots of the leaders.
However, Montgomerie could shoot only a par 72 as he attempts to restart his playing career after two years concentrating on the match against the Americans.
Playing alongside Kaymer, Montgomerie knows he has much work to do if he wants to win in Europe for the first time since 2007 and achieve his new ambition of playing in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.
Of the other Ryder Cup players, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood shot 70s, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy 71s, Francesco Molinari 72, his brother Edoardo 73, and Peter Hanson 74.
Westwood slipped on a slope by the 7th tee at Kingsbarns and hurt his right ankle again, but decided after his round to keep playing.
His bid to replace Tiger Woods as the world's top-ranked golfer will be helped by a top-20 finish. He's tied for 47th.
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