Friday 3 June 2016 19:22, UK
Lee Westwood made an encouraging start in his bid for a record fourth Nordea Masters title as he opened with a 68 to lie one shot off the lead after the first round.
Westwood and fellow English Ryder Cup hopeful Matt Fitzpatrick both negotiated the picturesque Bro Hoff Slott course near Stockholm in four under as Andrew Johnston fired a flawless 67 to earn a share of the lead with Scottish pair Marc Warren and Scott Henry, Frenchmen Clement Berardo and Sebastien Gros and Germany's Florian Fritsch.
Johnston eagled the 72nd hole at last week's BMA PGA Championship on Sunday to cap a closing 67 which propelled him into a tie for seventh at Wentworth, and he then booked his place at the US Open later this month after coming through the marathon 36-hole qualifier at Walton Heath on Monday.
But the popular 27-year-old showed no signs of fatigue in Sweden as he rolled in five birdies and kept a bogey off his card to match the earlier 67 of Berardo, whose remarkable round featured nine birdies, four bogeys and only five pars.
"I'm thrilled," Johnston told the European Tour. "I played really solid golf from tee to green and managed to hole a few putts, so I'm delighted.
"I didn't really have too much in the way of expectations this week because Wentworth was such a busy week, then I had the US Open qualifier on Monday so I was a bit tired when I got here. I said don't be too hard on yourself and just go out and play.
"I woke up this morning at 5am and thought 'Oh no, I could do with another eight hours' sleep. We played two rounds in a strong wind on Monday and then coming here, flying again, packing again, it just does you in mentally a bit."
Gros produced one of the shots of the day when he holed his second to the 493-yard eighth for a superb eagle after he had double-bogeyed the previous hole, while Henry cruised to the turn in 33 and moved into a share of the lead with an eagle at the long 13th.
Warren bounced back from missing the cut at Wentworth as he birdied three of the last four holes, while Westwood got himself into contention in one of his favourite events, having secured him maiden professional victory in the tournament in 1996 while also winning in 2000 and at Bro Hoff Slott in 2012.
"Obviously it's nice to come back to places you've won on before, but I'm more happy with the fact that I'm starting to hit the ball really well and seeing the flight on the shots that I like and on the greens I rolled the ball really well today," said Westwood, who was two off the lead after 54 holes at Wentworth before fading on the final day with a 76.
"My short game has been sharp for quite some time now so I do really feel like I should start winning tournaments again soon.
"It's not an easy golf course, there's a lot of water out there and a bit of breeze. You have to hit the ball well as it's very long, but there are a lot of birdie chances out there if you hit the ball in the fairway."
Ross Fisher carded an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys in his 68, while Fitzpatrick turned in 33 and made his only mistake of the day at the 10th before repairing the damage with further birdies at 15 and 17.
They were joined at four under by Matt Wallace, playing in his first European Tour event after winning four times on the Alps Tour this season and making the most of his invite with a faultless four-birdie opener.
World No 6 and home favourite Henrik Stenson was struggling on three over par with five holes of his first round remaining, but he gave the local galleries plenty to cheer with birdies at the fifth, seventh and ninth to get back to level par.
