Clarke & Westwood shrug off jetlag

Close friends Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, shrugged off jet lag following their return from last week's US Open to move together up the leaderboard in the first round of the £650,000 Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall.

Westwood shot a four-under-par 68 after a slow start, while playing partner Clarke finished the opening round a further stroke behind his great pal. Sam Torrance is the overnight leader after shooting a first round 66 with Spaniard Francisco Cea hot on his heels, carding a 67.

After a slow start Westwood picked up two birdies to reach the turn in 34 and quickly added another brace of birdies to move to three under. Clarke showed no signs of the fatigue that nearly caused him to miss his tee-off time in Wednesday's pro-am after falling asleep in the clubhouse.

The Ulsterman got off on the right foot with a birdie at his first and, after reaching the turn in 35, also added two more birdies to join Westwood on three under. The third member of their team Jamie Spence was also hot - scoring four birdies in a row on his front nine.

Open champion Paul Lawrie shot a disappointing 77 on his return was unsurprisingly struggling on his return to competitive golf after a month out with a niggling groin injury. But the Scot was just happy to get a round under his belt with the defence of his title at St Andrews next month his first priority.

"I didn't come here with high expectations and I know it will take a while, but at least there is no pain," the Scot said. Former amateur star Adam Scott was acquitting himself well on his professional debut, the teenager dubbed `the next Tiger Woods' standing one under par.

Adam Scott finished with a creditable level-par 72, having confessed to feeling a little nervous as he stood over his first shot as a professional. He should not have worried, it found the fairway, and the teenager impressed again with a mature performance.

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