Second-ranked Lee Westwood and unheralded Chilean Mark Tullo took advantage of benign early conditions to share the lead with superb 7-under rounds of 65 on the opening day of the Scottish Open on Thursday.
Westwood, who would regain the No. 1 ranking from fellow Englishman Luke Donald with a win at the new links course at Castle Stuart, made six birdies and an eagle in the warmup event for next week's British Open. A bogey at the 16th hole was his only setback.
Tullo, ranked No. 232 and in his first season on the European Tour, birdied his first four holes and then five of the back nine to later join Westwood at the top of the leaderboard, a shot clear of three players — South Africa's George Coetzee, Sweden's Peter Hanson and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen.
''I like playing the week before a major because I like being competitive and the aggression of making putts when you have to make them. The more pressure I'm under this week the better, I think,'' said Westwood, the winner of the tournament in 1998 when it was played at Loch Lomond.
The early starters had the better of the conditions, with a moderate wind picking up slightly in the afternoon. Of the leading five players, only Olesen teed off after midday.
A host of big names shot 5-under 67s, including Donald, defending champion Edoardo Molinari of Italy and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie — who needs a top-five finish to stand a chance of claiming the one available qualifying spot for the British Open for the leading non-exempt player. That would enable him to make a 22nd straight appearance in his home major.
''It's a tournament I've loved — and finished second in — and I want to play again in it, I really do,'' Montgomerie said of the Open, which is at Royal St. George's.
Tullo, who fired a stunning 10 birdies in total, also still has to qualify for the third major of the year and could wreck Montgomerie's hopes.
Sixth-ranked Phil Mickelson posted a 1-over 73, leaving the American an uphill task to end his tournament drought in Britain, but 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington both carded afternoon 69s to be in contention. Two-time winner Ernie Els had a 68 and fellow South African Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open champion, was one of the 13 players on 5 under.
Westwood hasn't finished outside the top 11 in his last five events — including the Masters and US Open — and he continued his superb form with a near-flawless round starting on the back nine.
He added to an early birdie with a burst of birdie-eagle-birdie around the turn, before a chance meeting with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson — who was in the crowd watching his home tournament — moments after going 6 under at the 12th. Westwood picked up two more shots over the next three holes before the bogey blotted his copybook.
His eagle came after a stunning second shot to within four feet at the 607-yard 18th.
''When I play well, I'm in contention now. When I don't play well, it seems to be that I still finish in the top 20,'' said Westwood.
Donald, playing with Montgomerie, was level par after 10 holes but a run of five birdies in his closing eight lifted him up the leaderboard.
''Tee to green, I was pretty solid, and I caught fire a little bit on my last nine holes. It was nice to finish as strong as I did. I stayed patient,'' Donald said.
Mickelson went 2 under with a birdie on the 10th but his trademark short game let him down on the 14th, where he made a double bogey.
''That derailed the round. It was a great day for scoring and I thought the course played terrific. I played reasonably well but I was disappointed with the way I scored,'' said Mickelson, who is already eight shots off the pace.
Fellow American Brandt Snedeker is even further behind, his 5-over 77 including a 9 on the par-5 second hole. Eighth-ranked Matt Kuchar made the best start of the eight Americans in Inverness, shooting a 70.
