Shane Lowry off to steady start in Sweden

Shane Lowry got off to a steady start at the Nordea Masters in Malmo as he carded a one-under-par 71 in his opening round.

The Irish golfer has had a hectic schedule of late after winning the 36-hole US Open qualifier at Walton Heath on Monday the day after finishing second to Rory McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championships at Wentworth last Sunday.

Starting on the 10th hole a PGA Sweden National, Lowry made back to back birdies on the 14th and 15th and turned in two-under 34. A dropped shot at the second was recovered with a second birdie on a par-three at the fourth.

He ended his first round with bogey on the ninth hole to lie five shots off the clubhouse lead of Swede Jens Danthorp and talented young English star Eddie Pepperell.

Dantorp began his round on the back nine and birdied 11 and 12 before picking up further shots on 16 and 18 to reach the turn in 32.

More birdies followed on the first and sixth to put the 25-year-old at the top of the leaderboard alongside Pepperell who birdied his final two holes to complete a 66 containing a single dropped shot.

The leading duo were one shot clear of a chasing pack of four players on five under, including two more Swedes in Sebastian Soderberg and Rikard Karlberg.

Henrik Stenson sat three shots behind following an opening 69 to leave him alongside Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez whose recent good form has catapulted him to the brink of Ryder Cup qualification at the age of 50.

Simon Thornton recovered from a double-bogey six on the third hole to card a one-under 71, with David Higgins struggling in his opening round, running up four bogeys and a double-bogey in a six-over 78.