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Oldcorn maintains excellent run of form

Scotland's Andrew Oldcorn and Adam Scott of Australia posted five-under 67s on Thursday to share a one-shot lead after the first round of the English Open.

Italy's Marco Bernardini is one back followed by David Howell and Costantino Rocca at minus-three.

Oldcorn, who opened on the second nine at the Arden Course, did not look like he was on pace to share the lead. He bogeyed the 11th hole but reclaimed the lost stroke with a birdie two holes later. Oldcorn sandwiched a birdie between two bogeys later in the nine for a one-over 37.

Oldcorn rebounded on his second nine with six birdies in a row, starting at his 12th, the par-five third. He chipped in for birdie at the fifth after he bladed his chip and luckily found the cup or the ball would have rolled several feet past the hole.

His last birdie of the run came at the 177-yard eighth, where he hit a four- iron into swirling winds and landed the ball six feet from the stick to set up the birdie that gave him a piece of the lead.

"I'm very pleased obviously," said the 41-year-old Scot, who won the Volvo PGA Championship two weeks ago. "It was a bit up and down to start with but on the way home I really felt my swing and my rhythm were back. I’m never too upset when the wind is about because if my game is on, I can hit a lot of different shots and I did that today."

Scott, like Oldcorn, began on the back nine and got off to a much different start than his co-leader. The 20-year-old birdied three of his first four holes, with the lone par a result of a missed four-foot birdie effort.

The Aussie bogeyed 15 but added three birdies on his second nine, including a 50-foot birdie at six, for a 65.

Scott has been struggling recently with his putting so he asked Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and their coach, Butch Harmon, for advice.

"They all told me the same thing, that I swing with my putter head shut. So I have some work to do on the follow-through," said Scott, who earned his breakthrough title earlier this season at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. "If three names like that can't help me then I'm in trouble."

Bernardini's 68 included a nine-foot eagle at the 17th, his eighth hole of the day, after he roped his three-wood approach to the center of the green.

Anthony Wall, Peter O'Malley, Mark McNulty, Jean Hugo, Massimo Scarpa and 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie are tied for sixth at two-under par.

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