Westwood sets pace at Castle Stuart

Golf – Scottish Open update:The last time Lee Westwood won the week before the Open he went to Royal Birkdale as joint favourite with Tiger Woods but ran out of momentum and carded two closing rounds of 78.

Lifting the Barclays Scottish Open title at Castle Stuart near Inverness on Sunday would take the 38-year-old to Sandwich as world number one once more and a seven-under-par opening 65 made him the joint overnight leader with Chilean Mark Tullo.

"The more pressure I'm under this week the better," said Westwood after grabbing an eagle and six birdies. "It's a nice way to start the next two weeks. You're never quite sure what to expect when you come to a course that you've never played before.

"I did some nice work last week on the range and hit a lot of shots out there that I probably couldn't have hit two or three weeks ago."

When Phil Mickelson won the week before his Masters defence in April many thought he had peaked too soon - and had no reason to change their minds when he finished only 27th. But Westwood has already won back-to-back in Indonesia and South Korea this season and, thinking back to what happened at the 1998 Open, he said: "I didn't really know what was going on - I hadn't really got into contention in the major championships."

He certainly has now. He missed out on a play-off by one shot at the 2008 US Open and 2009 Open, then was runner-up to Mickelson at Augusta last year and to Louis Oosthuizen - albeit by seven strokes - in last July's Open at St Andrews.

"I like playing the week before a major championship. I like having the pressure and making putts when you need to make them."

He picked out a driver second to 12 feet on the 530-yard 12th - his third - and a two iron to four feet into the wind on the long 18th as shots that will boost his confidence for another tilt at a first major title down in Kent.

Tullo, a graduate from last season's Challenge Tour, still has to qualify for the Open.

One spot is up for grabs to the leading non-exempt player this Sunday providing he finishes in the top five and, if Tullo keeps making 10 birdies in every round, it should be in the bag for the 33-year-old.

The world number 232 can already boast of a victory over Rory McIlroy - at last year's Egyptian Open.

Luke Donald is the player Westwood is trying to dethrone at the top of the rankings and they might yet end up in a repeat of the play-off they had in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May.

After a slow start Donald came home in 31 for a five-under 67 matched by playing partner Colin Montgomerie, another of those yet to secure a place in the Open.

Last year's Ryder Cup captain, who has played in every one since 1989 and was runner-up to Tiger Woods at St Andrews six summers ago, was disappointed not to be two ahead of Westwood rather than two behind him.

He bogeyed the two holes - the third and ninth - he considers the easiest two on the new links.

Mickelson would love to have played as well as Montgomerie, though. He managed only a one-over 73 and may even need a second-round 67 just to survive the halfway cut.

Playing partner Pádraig Harrington, last year's US Open winner Graeme McDowell and compatriots Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry are each on three under.

Peter Lawrie is best placed of the Irish after an early 68 and is in the company of Ernie Els on four under.

Michael Hoey went into freefall after he, like Lawrie, made a blistering start.

The Belfast pro was the early leader after his birdie, birdie, eagle start from the 10th. However dropped shots at the 18th - his ninth - first, fifth and seventh left this season's Madeira Islands Open winner signing for a 72.

Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin were one over after 73s.

Mickelson was not the worst of the American contingent "warming up" for the Open. Brandt Snedeker, who beat Donald in a play-off at Hilton Head in April, crashed to a 77 which included a nine on the long second.

The most remarkable round was that of Scot Marc Warren. He started with a triple-bogey seven, but then had seven successive birdies - one off the European Tour record - from the sixth and shot 67.

Westwood and Tullo were a stroke ahead of Ryder Cup Swede Peter Hanson, South African George Coetzee and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, joint runner-up in the French Open on Sunday.