Kennedy claims slender lead

Brad Kennedy holds a slender one-shot lead following the opening round of the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket after carding a seven-under 65 at the tricky Blue Canyon Country Club course.

Kennedy tops the leaderboard ahead of Graeme Storm, Canadian Mike Weir, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Swede Peter Hanson.

Scott Gardiner, Richard Lee, Graeme McDowell and Jeev Milkha Singh are a further shot adrift, while England’s Nick Dougherty and world number eight Retief Goosen head a group on four under.

World number six Ernie Els, who is searching for a third Johnnie Walker Classic title this week, struggled in his opening round and carded a one-over-par 73, while Colin Montgomerie carded a three-under-par 69 and England’s Paul Casey finished tied for 44th after a one-under-par 71.

Australia’s Adam Scott, winner of the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic event in Beijing, made a disastrous start to his first round after a double bogey at the fourth left him three over after five.

Scott recovered with an eagle three at the ninth but two bogeys on the back nine left him way down the field after carding a two over par 74.

Storm carded a four under par 32 on the front nine before shooting an eagle two at the par four 10th, but a bogey five at the 16th ruined his chances of sharing the lead with Kennedy.

The Australian dropped his only shot of the day on the tricky par three 14th, but five birdies on the back nine, including a two at the 17th, proved crucial.

Dougherty, starting on the back nine, struck five birdies in his opening six holes, including a two at the par-three 14th, to reach the turn five under par.

However, despite shooting a birdie at the first, Dougherty dropped two shots to head home in 37.

The spectacular 193-yard 14th, the course signature hole, is played from an elevated tee down onto an impossibly small island green with water on three sides.

Els hit six birdies on his round of 73, but disastrous double bogeys at the seventh and 17th left the South African tied for 92nd place, six shots off the lead.