Phil Mickelson, the world number three and England’s Graeme Storm both carded six under par 65s to top the leaderboard at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today.
Mickelson, still not fully recovered from a wrist injury, proved however that he is fit enough to be a major force at next week’s Open at Carnoustie.
Storm, meanwhile, is back in contention for the second time in three weeks as he continues an incredible turnaround in his career. The 29-year-old Hartlepool golfer won at the French Open a fortnight ago, only four years after he was struggling so badly that he went to work in a cream cake factory.
The pair shared the lead among the morning starters along with Soren Hansen of Denmark and the trio were joined in the afternoon by Lee Westwood, who is full of confidence after having his first win for four years in May’s Open de Andalucia. Westwood also shot 65 after making birdies on four of the first seven holes.
Finn Mikko Ilonen - like Storm a former British amateur champion - and German Marcel Siem, who is striving this week to earn one of the last two places in next week’s Open, were among those one shot back of the lead.
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At three under after five holes Colin Montgomerie, who following his European Open triumph on Sunday is eyeing top spot on the money list going to Carnoustie, was picking up where he left off, but bogeys at the 10th and 12th took some of the wind out of the Scot’s sails.
Mickelson was delighted with his start, having missed his last two halfway cuts after injuring his left wrist. He came back from bogeying the 12th with an eagle on the 560-yard next and then birdied the 14th, fourth and sixth, seventh and ninth.
Storm played a near-faultless round, picking up birdies at the 14th, 18th, third, fourth, sixth and ninth.
Hansen made it a three-way tie in the clubhouse on 65, while Lee Westwood was off to a flyer in the afternoon, picking up birdies at the first two holes.
“There was not much wind, the greens were putting very well, so it was a great opportunity,” Mickelson said.
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“I’d heard of Graeme Storm. I followed him in the Walker Cup [Storm was part of the winning side in 1999] and knew he won recently. I was very impressed.”
Storm admitted he lost sleep thinking about his pairing with Mickelson and was nervous on the first tee.
“I calmed down straight away, though,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep because he’s such a big player and I didn’t want to embarrass myself.
“The last four years I’ve been getting better and better. It’s all about believing in yourself. I was putting pressure on myself - am I ever going to win? But it’s all fallen into place and I’m more relaxed.”
Twice winner Ernie Els, meanwhile, was one under after 16, but both US Open champion Angel Cabrera and Britain’s top-ranked Luke Donald, playing for the first time since getting married three weeks ago, were down on one over.
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Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen were among the later starters and Montgomerie had an unfamiliar face in his group. With Jose Maria Olazabal pulling out before the start because of knee trouble, his fellow Spaniard Rafael Cabrero Bello was called into the field.
Soren Kjeldsen set the initial clubhouse target with his four under 67, one better than Irish Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley, who at 102nd on the Order of Merit is in dire need of a big week to turn his season round.
After completing yesterday’s pro-am Mickelson said he was not expecting his recent wrist injury to reduce his chances of winning next week’s Open, or indeed this week’s £3 million event.
“It’s OK. Not 100 per cent, but I don’t think it will affect my shots,” said the American, who hurt himself practising for the US Open.
In 14 appearances at the Open, Mickelson has only been in contention on the last day once, finishing a stroke behind Todd Hamilton and Ernie Els at Royal Troon in 2004. That followed a missed cut at Loch Lomond the week before, but the world number three does not want to follow that route to Carnoustie, where he has already been practising.
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“I’ve not played in the Open as well as I would have liked. I’ve still to perfect some of the shot-making, but I don’t think this week’s course is really that different. You have to keep the ball below the trees here.
“I like to play the week before and I am hoping to play well.” He won his second Masters title last year seven days after taking the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta by an amazing 13 strokes.
Having won two Masters and one US PGA Mickelson added: “I would love to win the remaining two (US Open and Open, of course). That would be a goal.”
At 102nd on the Order of Merit McGinley is in dire need of a big week and although there were two bogeys in his first 12 holes there were also five birdies.
LEADERBOARD
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-6: HANSEN, S?ren (DEN, 18), MICKELSON, Phil * (USA, 18), STORM, Graeme * (ENG, 18), WESTWOOD, Lee (ENG, 18), WALKER, Sam (ENG, 16).
-5: ILONEN, Mikko (FIN, 18), SIEM, Marcel (GER, 18), FOSTER, Mark* (ENG, 18).
-4: KJELDSEN, S?ren (DEN, 18), MICHEEL, Shaun * (USA, 18), LARA, Jos? Manuel * (SPA, 18), RUSH, Edward (ENG, 18), NILSSON, Christian L* (SWE, 16), KHAN, Simon, (ENG, 14).