Jaidee, Noren shoot 64 to lead Scottish Open

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LUSS, Scotland (AP) -- Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Alexander Noren of Sweden shot 7-under 64's Thursday to tie for the lead after the rain-delayed first round of the Scottish Open.

Thongchai made four straight birdies on the front nine at Loch Lomond and then birdied the last two holes after overnight rain delayed the start of play by 90 minutes.

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Thongchai Jaidee is tied for the lead after the first round of the Scottish Open.

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The 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, was third after a 65.

Thongchai, who sunk a 25-footer on the seventh hole, said putting was the key.

"I have been putting very badly for six months and I worked a lot with my coach over the last three days," he said. "We moved the ball in the stance and it was much better today.

"Otherwise, I drove the ball well and missed only two fairways, and my irons were working."

Thongchai has a prolapsed disc at the base of his back that requires constant monitoring, and he will return home for treatment if he doesn't qualify for next week's British Open.

He played only two events in a 15-week period this year and missed the cut in both, working instead to strengthen his back by swimming and stretching.

Noren finished with a bogey-free first round.

He said his liking for the course on the banks of the famous Scottish lake bolstered him. "It's just such a great course. It's the most fun course I play all year."

"I've had too many high scores, too many double and triple bogeys so having no bogeys was great."

Noren has finished fourth twice this year.

Cabrera, who missed the cut last month in defense of his U.S. Open title, also didn't drop a shot in his 65.

Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els both returned from three-week breaks and played indifferently, Mickelson shooting 71 and Els a 1-over 72.

"The golf course was ideal for scoring, soft with lift, clean and place. I just didn't get the ball in the hole," Mickelson said. "I thought I hit a lot of good shots but I didn't capitalize with my putts and let a good round slide a little bit.

"I fought hard to keep it around par and if I go out tomorrow and have a good round, I should be able to get right back in it for the weekend."

Mickelson often suffers after a layoff. "Sometimes in the first round I have some trouble getting the ball in the hole. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's round on some smooth putting surfaces.

"A 65 or 66 didn't feel that far away and hopefully tomorrow I can get back in it."

He felt his best shot was his third at the long 6th to a couple feet for birdie.

"I thought I hit a lot of good shots but just didn't quite get the putts to go in. A lot of mine went right up to the edge and had chances but I didn't quite have the right speed or the right read."

Els joked about not even turning up for Friday's second round.

"Right now I shouldn't even play tomorrow. That's how I feel," he said.

"I played some good stuff and some bad stuff," he said. "I had a bad shot on four, made double then a bogey on five. Then I played well but lipped out for birdie on 15 to get to 2 under.

A pulled drive at 16 and a poor second at the last led to bogeys. "So I probably could have finished 2-under quite easily."

Niclas Fasth, Garry Houston and John Bickerton were on 66, while a large group on 67 included Lee Westwood, who was third in the U.S. Open, 2004 champion Thomas Levet and 2006 winner Johan Edfors.

Westwood said his form continues to be good.

"It has been good all year, especially at the U.S. Open, and I'm a bit disappointed I haven't won," Westwood said.

Colin Montgomerie, the 1999 champion, shot 69 after bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes, the 7th and 8th.

The Scot hopes to make this year's Ryder Cup team but, even if he fails, plans to try to make the 2010 and 2012 teams before captaining Europe at Gleneagles in 2014.

Third-ranked Adam Scott, playing with a hand injury sustained before the U.S.Open, had a triple bogey 7 on his first hole on the way to a 72.

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