Frenchman Jacquelin sets record with 64

Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin reversed his recent golfing fortunes in dramatic style at Gleneagles today when he posted a course record 64 to grab the lead in the first round of the £400,000 Scottish PGA Championship.

The 26-year-old from Lyon has endured a torrid time since finishing tied 13th in the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, missing eight cuts in succession and failing to qualify for the Open Championship at St Andrews a month ago.

However the former French amateur champion got back on the rails in spectacular fashion on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Monarch's Course, eight birdies and no dropped shots giving him a one shot lead over unheralded Englishman Ben Barham.

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie moved into third after a 67, a round which incredibly began with a hole in one at his opening hole, the 208-yard 10th, while giant American Scott Rowe claimed a share of fourth with Australian Peter Fowler.

Nonetheless it was the performance of Jacquelin in the testing winds which whipped around the Perthshire venue that grabbed the attention.

The Frenchman carded matching halves of 32 and, not surprisingly, revealed that the key to his success had been how comfortable he felt on the greens.

"I had a good feeling with the putter on the very first hole and I tried to keep that feeling with me for the whole round," he said. "I putt conventionally with a normal grip but today the putter just felt light in my hands for some reason. I normally have a strong grip with my left hand but today it was light with both hands."

Barham, a 24-year-old former Kent county golfer who currently languishes 152nd on the Challenge Tour order of merit, was not even into the tournament until late yesterday morning when he took the place of Welshman Mark Litton.

Moreover Barham, out in the very last group of the day, grabbed his chance with both hands, returning an excellent 65, a round which featured six birdies, an eagle and only one dropped shot.

Dramatic scenery at Geneagles 16th. Allsport.

Third placed Lawrie was quickly under par in his round but, unlike leader Jacquelin, did not requiring his putter to do the damage thanks to an exquisitely struck seven-iron at his first hole, the 208-yard tenth, the ball pitching on the top of the slope to the left of the green before rolling into the hole.

Tour officials believed it to be the first time any player had begun a tournament first round with a hole-in-one but Lawrie admitted such a momentous occasion had not registered much jubilation in the gallery.

"There were maybe about 15 spectators at the side of the green but there was just slight applause, no-one going really daft," said Lawrie. "I didn't even realise it was in the hole until I got down there.

"When we walked to the green there were only two balls on the putting surface and I thought, `Oh Christ'. But Sam (Torrance) said `look in the hole' and we did and there it was!"

Further birdies followed for the 31-year-old Aberdonian at the 12th, 17th, fifth and eighth, more than offsetting his only dropped shot of the day at the 16th.

On the eve of the tournament Lawrie admitted a groin injury, which gave him problems during last week's USPGA Championship at Valhalla, was still troubling him but stretching exercises advised by coach Adam Hunter on the practice range before he teed off did the trick.

"Adam and I had a wee chat last night and he said if I was going to play this week I had to just stand up and hit the driver as I normally would and not think about the groin. So I stretched this morning and everything seems fine."

Lawrie's playing partner Torrance, the European Ryder Cup captain, celebrated his 47th birthday by carding a two-under-par 70 to move into contention on the fringes of the leaderboard.

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