Hansen, Fisher burn up 'Barns

Fisker: bogey-free round

Dunhill Links Championship
First round leaders
GB&Ire unless stated
-8 R Fisher
-8 S Hansen (Den)
-7 M Kaymer (Ger)

Related links

News

• Karlsson clinches Links title
• Duo battle to one-shot lead
• Brier leads as scores soar
• Dunhill Links collated scores
• Nick - I underestimated grief
• Pod 'shocked' by success
• Westy out to break his duck
• Alfred Dunhill - Six to watch

Also see

• EuroTour Schedule
• World Rankings
• Golf live on Sky Sports

Danish Ryder Cup star Soren Hansen and England's Ross Fisher took advantage of benign conditions at Kingsbarns to fire opening-round 64s and move into a one-shot lead at the Dunhill Links Championship.

Hansen - back in action for the first time since the defeat at Valhalla - picked up four shots in his last three holes, closing birdie, birdie, eagle.

Fisher - who just missed out on a place on Nick Faldo's team - is chasing his third win of the year. He had six birdies and an eagle three at the 12th in a bogey-free round.

The pair are a shot clear of German Martin Kaymer, who also played at Kingsbarns in the three-venue event.

Nine players are two shots off the pace on six-under after 66s, including England's David Howell. Three of those nine played at St Andrews, the rest at Kingsbarns, which as usual proved the most straigthtforward links. The best score at Carnoustie - traditionally the toughest course of the three - was a 67 from France's Thomas Levet.

Of his finish, Hansen commented: "It was an incredible feeling, I looked up at the leaderboard when I'd finished and thought, what happened there?"

"The day was really enjoyable because you are trying to get back to normal (after the Ryder Cup) and find some energy."

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington finally found some form after a miserable run since his victory in August's USPGA, carding a 67 around Kingsbarns.

Rivals

The Irishman's two closest rivals in the chase for the Order of Merit title are England's Lee Westwood and Swede Robert Karlsson.

Both stayed in contention to overhaul Harrington, Karlsson matching him with a 67 and Westwood carding a 68. Both were also playing at Kingsbarns.

Starting from the 10th, Harrington birdied the 12th and 13th but then dropped shots at the 16th and 17th and was level par after 12 holes, good enough only for a share of 90th place.

But the Dubliner then birdied five of his last six holes to finish just three shots off the lead.

"When you are leading it you want to win it," said Harrington, who currently leads Westwood by £180,000 at the top of the money list, with £432,000 on offer to the winner here.

Question

"The first question you will be asked when you retire is how many majors you have won, but Order of Merits come a close second."

Defending champion Nick Dougherty could only manage a 74 at Kingsbarns and world number eight Ernie Els went just one better at the same venue.

Former champion Colin Montgomerie, who received treatment for a shoulder injury on Wednesday, was two-under after a 70 at Kingsbarns.