THOMAS Bjorn did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland yesterday.

Bjorn, non-playing captain of the Continental Europe team hammered by Britain and Ireland, began the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with an eight-under-par 64 at Kingsbarns.

It gave the 38-year-old Dane a two-stroke lead over England’s Ross McGowan and Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin – and was only one shot outside his lowest-ever score on the European Tour.

Bjorn’s last trip to Scotland was for the Johnnie Walker Championship five weeks ago and on that occasion he opened with an 82.

In his defence, though, that was his first event for nearly two months, a lay-off caused by dizziness and fatigue so bad that he was sent for a brain scan.

This time Bjorn had four birdies in a back nine 32, eagled the 516-yard third and picked up further strokes on the fourth and sixth.

‘‘It was a hard week last week, I spent a lot of time thinking and using the head, but I got inspired by it,’’ he stated.

‘‘I started doing a little bit of stuff with Pete Cowen on Tuesday, drove the ball fantastic all day - and for the first time in a long time started rolling in a few putts.

‘‘It’s just nice to walk off and feel like for once I got what I deserved.’’ Maybin, so close to his first European Tour win last December when he lost a playoff for the South African Open to Richard Sterne, was also playing at Kingsbarns and did not drop a stroke either in his 66.

McGowan, third on his last start at the European Masters a month ago, was at St Andrews and keen to take advantage of the relatively calm conditions as much as he could because he will be at the far tougher Carnoustie on Saturday when 40mph winds are predicted.

Best score at Carnoustie was the five under 67 by Richie Ramsay, the Scot called into the event when Paul Casey pulled out injured late last week and needing a top 10 finish to secure his Tour card for next season.

Most of the big names were also at Carnoustie, but they had mixed fortunes.

Rory McIlroy, with a chance to go top of the money list, was content with his 68, the same as Darren Clarke.

Padraig Harrington bogeyed the last – actually the 478-yard ninth – for 70, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie could do no better than 73 and Robert Karlsson and Nick Dougherty, the last two winners of the title, slumped to 76 and 78 respectively.

Montgomerie can only hope that October 1 next year goes better. It is the opening day of the Ryder Cup.

Leaders of the team event are McGowan and Richard Bevan, CEO of English football’s League Managers Association.

He had five strokes and on two of them made gross birdies.

Graeme Storm was three under at Kingsbarns, playing partner Ronan Keating was on six under.