Thorbjorn Olesen shoots 63, takes 2-shot lead midway through 1st round of

In the build up to the first European Tour event to be staged at the East Lothian venue, there was a genuine concern among the locals about the composite Championship Course being “torn apart” by a world-class field.

Could it happen at the Scottish Open, which he won in 2008? In 2013, the final year at Castle Stuart, John Parry was the pacesetter with an eight-under 64.

The 25-year-old Dane sustained one of the most freakish injuries of recent years when he fell off a camel while on holiday with friends in Dubai past year, pulled a groin muscle and was ruled out for two months. Then, after marking his recovery from that by winning the Perth global in Australia towards the end of last season, he discovered a tendon problem in his left hand that eventually required surgery.

“I’d have been coming here as a spectator and here I am playing and signing autographs”, he said, shaking his head in disbelief. We went on a desert safari that included a camel ride. “In fact, it was a couple weeks before I could walk properly again”.

It left McDowell trailing just three shots behind Denmark’s Thjorbjorn Olesen, who after losing out in a play-off in the inaugural Mauritius Open has then missed the cut in five of six events.

“Now it’s a case of going out today and trying to keep doing the same things that got me here at North Berwick last weekend”.

After picking up a shot on the par-five second, McDowell rolled in four birdies in succession from the fifth to reach the turn in 30 and lead by a shot from England’s Matthew Nixon, France’s Michael Lorenzo-Vera, Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen.

“It’s going to be colder over here, compared to John Deere, where it’s hot”, he said.

That success was followed up by victory in The Open, and Mickelson is upbeat over his prospects of producing a similar set of performances this time around. After unsettling missed cuts at Memorial and the USA Open, this is a welcome opening lap for the American, who will be bidding to win a first major title in next week’s Open at St Andrews. “That’s what I enjoy, being on the leaderboard and having some fun”. “As a result of that, we have tried to simplify my thoughts”.

“Just the amount of spots that you get to hit, the amount of imagination you get to use”, he said before the tournament.

“And it was nice to get back on a course that gives you a few opportunities in benign conditions”.

Peter Cowen’s coaching academy near Sheffield has been broken into 25 times including seven break-ins this year alone, but fortunately tapes of Graeme McDowell’s golf swing in 2010 remain secure.

Returning to tournament golf for the first time since his US Open 81-73, Fowler looked like the player who went into Chambers Bay a favorite.

Add in the stunning views up to Edinburgh and across to Fife that were beamed around the world and it was exactly the opening day that Gullane would have wanted. Armed with an iron for his third attempt, the American finally found the short stuff, only to bookend his round by finishing with another 8 for a 77.