Headstrong Bjorn hits his stride

THOMAS BJORN did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland yesterday. Bjorn, non-playing captain of the Continental Europe team hammered by Britain and Ireland, began the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with an eight-under-par 64 at Kingsbarns.

It gave the 38-year-old Dane a two-stroke lead over England’s Ross McGowan and Ireland’s Gareth Maybin – and was only one shot outside his lowest-ever score on the European Tour.

Bjorn’s last trip to Scotland was for the Johnnie Walker Championship five weeks ago and on that occasion he opened with an horrendous 82. In his defence, though, that was his first event for nearly two months, a lay-off caused by dizziness and fatigue so bad that he was sent for a brain scan.