Saltman and McIlroy off to flying start

Former amateur stars Lloyd Saltman and Rory McIlroy made exactly the start to their professional European Tour careers they were hoping for today.

Saltman, the Scot who finished a brilliant 15th in The Open at St Andrews two years ago, was the first player to tee off on the back nine when the Quinn Direct British Masters began.

After an opening par the 22-year-old then reeled off four threes in a row, including birdies on the 11th and 13th.

At two under par Saltman shared the early lead with compatriot Stephen Gallacher, England’s Oliver Wilson, Swede Jarmo Sandelin and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

McIlroy, the 18-year-old from Northern Ireland who hit the sporting headlines with an opening 68 in The Open at Carnoustie this July, was only one behind - but it was not exactly in the way he planned.

After saving par with a chip to three feet on the 10th McIlroy, a team-mate of Saltman’s in the Walker Cup two weeks ago, pushed his drive down the 11th under the face of a pot bunker.

He had no choice but to play out not just sideways, but backwards as well and when he then went over the green with his third it did not look good.

However, the teenager chipped in for his par, then birdied the 208-yard 12th.

Alongside him on one under were Ian Poulter, who birdied the 13th, and Paul McGinley, back on the course where he won the 2002 Ryder Cup for Europe.