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Ryder stars off the pace at Dunhill Links Championship

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Ryder stars off the pace at Dunhill Links Championship
It's perhaps not that surprising that some of this week's European stars have proven a little sluggish on this, the first day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
After a nerve-shredding victory against the Americans in the Ryder Cup this week at Celtic Manor - and very possibly a fair few drinks to celebrate that win - Europe's most glittering stars may not be at their brightest. And so it proved at the opening round at this week's tournament, which takes place across the renowned Scottish courses of St Andrews Old Course, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns.
Of those currently leading the tournament, there's nary a sign of a Ryder Cup hero. Instead Scotland's Martin Laird, playing the Kingsbarns course, is the clubhouse leader on six-under-par 66 after completing a flawless round with six birdies.
Holland's Maarten Lafeber holds the same score having played Carnoustie, his two bogeys voided with eight birdies, while Australia's Tim Wilkinson is on the same score, also at Carnoustie - though he's yet to finish his round, playing as far as the 15th without a rick.
England's Kenneth Ferrie, Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez, Australia's Matthew Griffin and Ireland's Shane Lowry are currently tied for fourth place on five-under, while Martin Kaymer is the best performing of the victorious European Ryder Cup team, the 25-year-old German currently tied for eighth place on four-under after an opening round that saw this year's PGA Championship winner card six birdies and a pair of bogeys, playing the Kingsbarns course.
Kaymer is still well placed to make up some ground, of course. But what of some of his fellow team members? Next best performers, playing the same course, were Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, who this week rose to the position of No. 2 in the world. The Englishman is currently three-under after shooting four birdies and an eagle, but also three bogeys on the Kingsbarns course. Meanwhile Ireland's Harrington had shot four birdies and a bogey, with two holes still to play.
Also finding his way around the Kingsbarns was Rory McIlroy, though his performance was weaker than Westwood's, the Ulsterman tied for 59th place on one-under after carding four birdies and an eagle on the 3rd just as Westwood did, but also four bogeys and a double bogey on the 15th. McIlroy's playing partner at Celtic Manor was on the same score at the same course, albeit after just 14 holes, Graeme McDowell having amassed three birdies and two bogeys so far.
In all, nine of the Ryder Cup stars are in action again at the Dunhill Links Championship this week. And Colin Montgomerie will no doubt be heartened with the state of his own game. The European Ryder Cup captain was level with one of his players, Francesco Molinari, with both men on level par after each completing the Kingsbarns course - though Monty couldn't match Molinari's eagle at the 16th.
Brother Edoardo was one-over, again at Kingbarns, again after finding an eagle, though the elder Molinari brother's came on the 9th. Still plenty of time for Ed and Cesc to show Monty a clean pair of heels over the next few days, of course.

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