Ideal start for Bjorn in bid to seal Ryder spot

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn overcame testing conditions and an encounter with overhead power lines to make the perfect start to his bid to seal a Ryder Cup place on home soil.

Bjorn has not played in the biennial contest since 2002 but has occupied an automatic qualifying spot since winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December last year.

The 43-year-old dropped out of the European points list recently and is now relying on the world points list, but looks to have done enough to make the European team which will defend the trophy at Gleneagles.