• Scottish Open, Round One

Confident Westwood opens up in style

Lee Westwood was in stunning form on the banks of the Moray Firth © Getty Images

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Lee Westwood set himself on course to reclaim the world No. 1 spot with a blistering opening round at the Scottish Open.

The Englishman is certain to wrest the top spot from fellow countryman Luke Donald with victory on Sunday and he is firmly on track after a fine display of links play in a round of 65.

The event is the ideal place for players to put the finishing touches to their Open preparations, with the third major of the year seven days away, and with the wind expected to blow at Royal St George's the conditions that met the players at Castle Stuart on Thursday were ideal.

The blustery conditions proved no handicap to Westwood who delivered a masterclass in precision iron play and found some form with the putter.

A birdie on the 12th, his third, set the ball rolling but it was round the turn that he caught fire. A birdie two on the 17th preceded a fantastic approach to the 18th with a mid-iron that set up an eagle.

Four more birdies followed coming home, but he blotted his copybook with a bogey on the seventh courtesy of a wayward drive and missed return putt. But he regained his composure to par home to enter the clubhouse at seven-under.

Westwood, who was joined on seven-under by Mark Tullo, has admitted he did not do the greatest amount of homework, but felt it did not hinder him.

"I played nine holes on Tuesday afternoon and played in the pro-am yesterday," he told Sky Sports. "There was a nice naivety to it all as there were times when I was asking where the next tee was, which is strange when you are playing tournament golf.

"This is the kind of course, with so many nooks and crannies and subtleties to it, that you can play it 10 times and still get it wrong. I formulated a bit of a plan and then went with it and fortunately it was right."

Peter Hanson is one adrift of Westwood at six-under, alongside in-form South African George Coetzee. Rising star Thorbjorn Olesen also joined the duo late in the day, after a blemish-free round of 66.

Colin Montgomerie is in the last-chance saloon, as he needs to finish in the top five to stand a chance of making it to the Open for the 22nd year in a row, and he made a positive start. Three birdies going out and a brilliant eagle on the second, his 11th, catapulted him up to five-under.

A poor three putt on the third threatened to derail his round, but birdies at six and eight got him to six-under. He was forced to sign for a five-under 67 as a wayward drive on the final hole cost him a bogey.

"It's a tournament I've loved -and finished second in - and I want to play again in it, I really do," Montgomerie said of the Open. "But I'm disappointed to finish that way."

Luke Donald is giving chase to Westwood and will not give up his top spot without a fight as he came home in 31 shots for a five-under 67.

Chris Wood is a player at home on links courses and he will be a threat to Westwood judged on his opening 67, which puts him within two of the leader.

Edoardo Molinari looked in determined mood to defend his title and the Italian hit six birdies and the solitary bogey in his 67.

A host of other players - Barry Lane and Retief Goosen among them - are in the crowded pack on five-under.

The news was not as good for some others, however. Phil Mickelson's Open preparations hardly got off to the most inspiring of starts after a first round of 73, while Thomas Bjorn - now the first alternate for next week's field in Sandwich - looks likely to have to rely on that route for his place at the Open after a round of 78 that leaves Sandy Lyle (79) behind him on the leaderboard.

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