Golf : Fulke off to fine start

Pierre Fulke continued his great start to the season in the opening round of the Heineken Classic.

The Swede shot a five-under-par 67 to share the early lead in Perth.

Fulke is already sure of a Ryder Cup debut later this year after finishing second in the World Match Play earlier in the month.

The current runaway leader of Europe's Order of Merit shares the lead at the Vines course with Dane Thomas Bjorn and home pair Shane Tait and Scott Laycock.

"I wasn't sure what to expect," admitted Fulke. "The three weeks I was in Sweden it was five to 10 degrees below and I didn't hit any shots.

"Instead I did a bit of hunting (wild boar and deer) and got involved in the rebuilding of my house." He also splashed out on a Chevrolet Corvette.

His return was nothing short of spectacular, however, as he played his first nine holes in 31, grabbing three birdies and then having an eagle on the 517-yard 18th, where his six-iron second over the lake pulled up just four feet from the flag.

Fulke's only mistake was to bogey the first after finding sand, but he came back with a two-putt birdie at the long ninth.

Already looking forward to his first appearance at the US Masters in April, Fulke had toyed with the idea of changing drivers this week because the one which has brought him three wins in the last six months is banned in America.

"I'm experimenting with others, but I decided to stick with my usual one here," he stated.

"Having to change when I get to the States does not concern me at all - last year my driving average last year with the new club was only 14 yards more than it was in 1999."

What pleased him most was that the putter which let him down in the Melbourne final against Steve Stricker was back in good working order.

Bjorn won this title three years ago and last January was runner-up to New Zealander Michael Campbell.

He again showed his liking for The Vines by hitting all 18 greens in regulation and collecting five birdies.

Third in last week's South African Open, he said: "I don't know what it is about here, but I really want to start the season well and get into the Ryder Cup team early."

Bjorn had a foot operation in December and was told he might not be back playing until mid-February.

"But I can't find two or three months to take off and it's not bothering me when I swing. The only problem is sometimes when I'm walking and the last few holes of a round I start to feel it, but I'm getting a lot of treatment."