Cup hopefuls jostle at Gleneagles

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD: GB & Ire unless stated
-5 G Havret (Fra) -3 P Broadhurst, C Cevaer (Fra), G Orr, R Rock -2 G Bourdy (Fra), B Dredge, S Hansen, JF Lima (Por), B Teilleria (Fra), A Wall, M Wiegele (Aut)
Selected others: -1 D Clarke, R Fisher, L Westwood Level J Rose, N Dougherty +1 C Montgomerie +3 M Kaymer (Ger), P McGinley, O Wilson

---

Havret fired six birdies and one bogey at Gleneagles

France's Gregory Havret ignored the jostling for Ryder Cup places to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Havret fired a five-under 68 to lead Paul Broadhurst, Christian Cevaer, Gary Orr and Robert Rock at Gleneagles.

Dane Soren Hansen, who is ninth in the Ryder Cup rankings, was in a group two under with wildcard hopefuls Darren Clarke and Ross Fisher one under.

Colin Montgomerie was one over, with Martin Kaymer and Oliver Wilson at +3.

England's Wilson needs a good finish this week, the last qualifying event for the European Ryder Cup team, to hold onto his 10th and final automatic spot for this September's match against the US in Kentucky.

Justin Rose, eighth in the standings, carded a level-par 73 in Scotland, as did Nick Dougherty, who is one of only three men, along with Kaymer and Fisher, who can climb above Rose, Hansen and Wilson in the table.

Northern Ireland's Clarke, who won in Holland last week, as well as Montgomerie and Paul McGinley (76) are the leading contenders in the field to be given a wildcard from captain Nick Faldo on Sunday.

Dougherty, who like Kaymer has had the trauma of losing his mother in the past few months, admits he is mentally exhausted.

I think my kids could come up with a better design than that [the 7th green] in one afternoon Lee Westwood

"Even if someone has to cart me into the car on Sunday, I've done all I can. I can be pleased and proud of myself," he said.

Wilson added: "I don't think I've blown myself out of it. I could have done, but I didn't.

"The greens are not overly smooth, but I felt I was a little bit unlucky - every time I hit it in the rough I got a bad lie."

Wilson's playing partner Lee Westwood, who has secured his Ryder Cup slot, was damning in his criticism of the greens at Gleneagles despite carding a one-under 72, which included a four-putt double bogey at the 461-yard 5th.

"I said last year that the greens were awful and something needed to be done," he said.

"I'm not a bad putter and I can't remember the last time I three-putted from 18 inches.

"At the end of the week unfortunately the tournament could be won or lost by luck on the greens.

"They [the Ryder Cup hopefuls] are the people I feel really sorry for. There is a lot riding on that.

"They are going to be feeling pressure as it is and you don't want to be standing over a three-footer with so much doubt in your mind not knowing if the ball is going to run straight."

606: DEBATE Monty shot 74 - not the sort of form for Valhalla CrookedKen

Gleneagles will host the Ryder Cup in 2014 when Montgomerie is expected to captain the European side, but Westwood added: "You can't bring the Ryder Cup onto greens like this. Hopefully they will rip them up and re-do them.

"Hopefully they won't use the same designer who had two goes at doing the seventh. I think my kids could come up with a better design than that in one afternoon."

A joint statement issued by the European Tour and Gleneagles Hotel said greenkeeping staff have "worked diligently" to prepare the course.

"It has been a difficult summer and, specifically, the last three weeks have been extremely challenging with rainfall recorded at 205mm compared to the average total montly figure for August of 86mm.

"A strong agronomy plan has been formulated for the PGA Centenary Course and is still work in progress."