Graeme McDowell is hot on the heels of leader Brad Kennedy at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket this morning after posting a hugely impressive five-under par round of 67.

The Co Antrim golfer, who started his round on the 10th, was in blistering form on the back nine, making five birdies to reach the turn in just 31 strokes.

McDowell, who missed the cut at the Malaysian Open last month, added another birdie on the fourth but dropped shots at the fifth and seventh robbed him of some momentum. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old finished with a birdie at the par five to lie just two shots off Brad Kennedy's lead.

Kennedy tops the clubhouse leader board after shooting a seven-under 65, while Graeme Storm, Mike Weir and Stephen Gallagher trail by one shot, with Scott Gardiner and Richard Lee alongside McDowell a further stroke adrift.

Ernie Els, who is searching for a third Johnnie Walker Classic title this week, was unable to find some form and struggled in his opening round, carding a one over par 73.

Els hit six birdies on his round of 73, but disastrous double bogeys at the seventh and 17th left the South African tied for 92nd place, six shots off the lead.

Canadian Adam Scott, winner of the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic event in Beijing, made a disastrous start to his first round after a double bogey at the fourth left the Canadian three over after five.

Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson's victories in the Dubai Desert Classic and Accenture World Match Play championship have made him the European Tour's Golfer of the Month for February.

The Swede pushed Ernie Els into second place and Tiger Woods into third in Dubai, then moved up to fifth in the world with his match play win in Arizona at the weekend.