• Johnnie Walker Championship, Round One

Foster makes his mark at Gleneagles

Mark Foster got off to a blistering start at Gleneagles © Getty Images

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Mark Foster took his first step towards ending his eight-year title drought after blazing to the top of the leaderboard with an opening-round 66 at the Johnnie Walker Championship.

The 36-year-old benefited from three warm-ups after a delayed start to proceedings due to foggy conditions at Gleneagles, and it paid dividends as he grabbed six birdies to reach six-under at the turn.

A pair of bogeys checked his progress, but two further birdies on the back nine sealed his place at the top of the pile at six-under par.

Breathing down his neck is Irishman Peter Lawrie, who set the early pace with an opening-round 68 to take the clubhouse lead. A single bogey at the third was the only blemish on Lawrie's scorecard, which featured five birdies.

Simon Dyson, who continued his storming finish to the season by signing for a fiercely competitive two-under 70. Dyson has emerged as one of the most consistent players on the European Tour during 2011, winning the Irish Open and recording four other top-ten finishes on his way to eighth in the Race to Dubai standings.

Earlier this month he even threatened to add a major title to his CV, opening with a classy 68 at the US PGA before falling away across the weekend - one month after finishing ninth at the Open Championship.

After a delayed start, Dyson turned in 33 with birdies at 11, 13 and 18, before finding his progress checked by a double-bogey at the first. He bounced back in style with a birdie at the subsequent hole, then came home with six straight pars in surprisingly calm conditions at the Scottish course.

Oliver Fisher backed up victory at the Czech Open, his first European Tour title, with an erratic 72 that never really got going, containing four bogeys and four birdies.

Ryder Cup star Ross Fisher looked like he would struggle to make the cut when he reached five-over through seven holes, but a terrific recovery - inspired by an eagle at the second - allowed him to finish at one-under.

On the course that will host the 2014 Ryder Cup, former captain Colin Montgomerie got off to a blistering start, picking up three shots on his opening two holes. Two bogeys checked his progress, and after a mixed afternoon, the Scot reached one-under with two holes to play.

Francesco Molinari, who has been struggling with injury, is at two-under, while after a bright start brother Edoardo, the defending champion, found himself in trouble. After two early birdies, Edoardo's round unravelled as he found himself at three-over after 17 holes.

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