Bjorn takes opening honours with 64

Thomas Bjorn exorcised a few demons when he took a two-shot lead in the Irish Open first round with a battling eight-under-par 64 on Thursday.

The Dane ironically chipped in from a bunker for birdie at the second and birdied his 16th hole. He took three attempts to escape from the par-three 16th bunker in the British Open final round on Sunday, running up the double-bogey that cost him his first major title.

"I said to Michael (Campbell) and Padraig (Harrington), if ever there was a shot five days too late...", Bjorn remarked about his chip-in from the greenside bunker on the second.

His nine birdies, with just one dropped shot, earned him a two-stroke lead over playing partner Campbell, with Briton Paul Broadhurst a further shot behind.

Bjorn's 64 set the new course record at the revamped links just outside Dublin, a remarkable achievement for the determined 32-year-old, who threw away a three-stroke lead at Royal St George's with three holes left, handing the title to rookie Ben Curtis.

"I'm proud of what I did today, because this is not the easiest of courses," he said.

"But I have strong belief in myself. Those things happen in major championships, that's why it's s tough to win a major.

"I'm looking forward now and the only thing I want to do is keep playing like today and I'll go from strength to strength.

"The bottom line is, I played some magnificent golf last week and I carried that on today.

"But I didn't come here 100 per cent to win but to get out and enjoy golf and realise what happened last week was not the end of my golf career.

"It was all about coming out and facing up to things."

While Bjorn insisted he was focused out on the course, he admitted his thoughts had turned to Sandwich and the 16th again the previous night.

"It's not like it goes away," he added. "You think about a lot of things. I just looked back at it (the 16th) and it's not the bunker shots that bother me because if I'd hit a good tee-shot I wouldn't have been in there."

Campbell holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the sixth but had to settle for a 66 to stay on the Dane's shoulder, while the third man in the group, Harrington, also contended strongly with a 69.

Six Britons shared fourth place on four under, Luke Donald, the promising youngster playing his first regular European tour event, recent European Open winner Phillip Price, Greg Owen, Gary Emerson, Simon Khan and Stephen Gallacher.

Britain's Mark Roe, disqualified in the British Open for failing to swap cards with playing partner Jesper Parnevik and signing for the wrong score, also carded 69.

Jose Maria Olazabal, the 1990 Irish Open winner the last time it was staged at Portmarnock, bogeyed the last two holes for a 70, while Darren Clarke, one of the pre-tournament favourites, slumped to a 75.

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