Bet on this tournament & other sports here

Five share open day lead with 67's

Michael Campbell shot a five-under 67 Thursday to share the lead with four others after the first round of the European Open at The K Club. The New Zealander finished round one alongside Henrik Bjornstad, Maarten Lafeber, Mikael Lundberg and Massimo Scarpa atop the leaderboard.

A four-time winner on the European Tour, Campbell birdied the first two holes at the site of the 2005 Ryder Cup. He added three more birdies, including a 30-footer on the fourth hole, to finish with a five-under 30 through the front nine.

The 32-year-old could not add to his early lead and followed his front-nine brilliance with nine straight pars.

"It was a good start and the first eight holes were pretty special," he said. "I lipped out on the third from ten feet and again on the sixth and seventh so it could have been a really special start."

Bjornstad copied his opening round from last week's Irish Open. He carded six birdies to make up for a bogey on the par-four second for his 67.

Scarpa had three birdies on the back nine but a bogey on 15 kept him from taking sole possession of first place.

The 31-year-old Italian was very successful on the par threes, as he sank putts ranging in length from three to 25 feet.

"I did play the par threes very well - I hit some good shots," said Scarpa, who was three-under on the four par threes. "My putting stroke was really good today as well, even though I three putted the last for a par five. That can happen sometime but I am playing good golf just now."

Lafeber, who has missed eight of the last nine cuts, and Lundberg both birdied the 18th to finish with a share of the lead. Lundberg, like Campbell, shot a flawless first round with five birdies and no bogeys.

Another group of five found itself one shot off the lead. The 1998 champion Mathias Gronberg along with Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Gustavo Rojas and Brett Rumford finished at minus-four.

Montgomerie is playing off the momentum of last week's win at The Irish Open.

"That round was very important," said Montgomerie. "To come off any win is great but that is no good if you then throw in a couple of 74s and go home early from here. That's no use - you have to try and build on that and that's what I'm trying to do this month."

Clarke, who posted a 12-under 60 at this event in 1999, was also pleased with his first round.

"Certainly the rough wasn't as severe then as it is now and with the trees the way they are now, some of the lines I took a couple of years ago, you can't take them now," he said.

The U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who played with Campbell, posted a three-under 69 while two-time defending champion Lee Westwood finished four strokes off the lead at one-under 71.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page