Scottish Open :: Day one round-up

• Dane Thorbjorn Olesen leads by two after day one
• American trio Walker, Fowler and Kuchar start well
• Defending champion Rose only three shots back

A host of top names including Jimmy Walker, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and defending champion Justin Rose are among the chasing pack at the end of day one at the Scottish Open – but it’s Dane Thorbjorn Olesen who heads the field by one shot after a blistering 63.

The 25-year-old was bogey-free for his seven-under-par score, closing with three birdies in his final four holes, hitting 79% of fairways and needing just 27 putts.

“You could attack the golf course today as there wasn’t much wind,” said Olesen, who was an early starter at 7.40am. “That’s what I did and I holed some great putts.

“I’ve had a tough time but I feel like I’m keeping my head up, fighting and practicing and I think that showed today.”

Daniel Brooks is one shot back on six-under, while Walker is one of seven players on five-under-par, alongside Spanish duo Adrian Otaegui and Alejandro Canizares, Swede Johan Carlsson and English trio Seve Benson, Richard Finch and Matthew Nixon. And speaking after his round, the American was pretty happy with how things went.

“For the most part, I got a lot out of it” – Jimmy Walker

“It was pretty solid today,” he said. “I hit a couple of bad shots; a bad drive on 11 that I got away with. I wedged one out to the fairway and got up and down from 60 yards and I hit a lot of good pitches around the greens for tap-ins. I missed a couple of putts, I probably should’ve birdied nine but for the most part, I got a lot out of it.”

CONTINUES BELOW…

Fowler, Kuchar, Rose and Graeme McDowell follow on four-under-par, but it could’ve been so much better for the latter, as he finished with back-to-back bogeys.

“It’s always disappointing to finish with a couple of bogeys but I played some good stuff today,” said the Northern Irishman. “I drove the ball really well, some nice iron play and the putter was really hot for the first 11 or 12 holes. I’d have taken four-under going out and I’ll take it now.”

Kuchar, meanwhile, said he was feeling like fellow American Dustin Johnson after recording two eagles on the par-5s.

“It’s a bit like Dustin Johnson play today with a couple of eagles” – Matt Kuchar

“It was a good day. Nice to get in, opening round, four-under-par. It’s a bit like Dustin Johnson play today with a couple of eagles on the par-5s but it was awfully fun to get them.”

Elsewhere, there were good rounds for Scots Paul Lawrie and Russell Knox, who were two of 19 players to finish on three-under, while Stephen Gallacher and Andrew McArthur were a shot further adrift.

Scottish Open :: Day one

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