Saturday 9 July 2016 09:45, UK
Scott Hend and Felipe Aguilar hold a share of the lead after a blustery opening round at the Scottish Open, where a number of high-profile players struggled in tough conditions at Castle Stuart.
The pair posted matching three-under 69s as winds gusted up to 40mph in the Highlands, giving them a narrow advantage over an eight-way tie one shot off the pace.
On a day where only 20 of the field finished under par, 2013 champion Phil Mickelson and world No 6 Stenson both struggled to four-over 76s, with recent US Open joint runner-up Shane Lowry a further stroke worse off.
Aguilar, looking to claim one of the four qualifying places up for grabs this week for The Open, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to set the clubhouse target, with Hend moving alongside him by carding a bogey-free second nine.
Graeme McDowell bounced back from an early exit at last week's French Open to rack up four birdies on his way to a two-under 70, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington produced the best round of the later starters to join the Northern Irishman one back.
"I wish I played every round of tournament golf in those conditions," Harrington said. "It was tough and stressful and you had to pay attention all day, but there was nothing I was not familiar with.
"It was all there in front of you and the sort of test you want going into The Open."
Former US PGA champion YE Yang, Sweden's Alex Noren and the English quartet of Richard Bland, Tyrrell Hatton, Andy Sullivan and Eddie Pepperell complete the group on two under, with Branden Grace opening with a one-under 71.
Early starter Bradley Dredge briefly held the outright advantage by playing birdieing two of his opening six holes and also posting an eagle-three at the 12th, only to drop four strokes in a three-hole stretch after the turn to also end the day two back.
Dredge is joined on one under by former world No 1 Luke Donald and New Zealand's Danny Lee, who was tied at the top for a large part of his round until he double-bogeyed the last.
Home duo Russell Knox and David Drysdale sit level-par, while JB Holmes was nine-over-par after 12 holes on his way to an opening-round 80.
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