Richard Green’s outstanding first round of seven under par 64 saw the left-hander establish a one stroke lead on day one of The Barclays Scottish Open.

Glasgow-born, Arizona-based Scot Martin Laird, playing in his first European Tour event, leads the home challenge on six under, with David Drysdale and Paul Lawrie also giving the home fans much to cheer at the Loch Lomond Golf Club with respective opening scores of four and three under.

 Laird, watched by proud parents and grandparents, twice chipped in en route to a 65 which put him in joint second place with 42 year old Irishman Paul McGinley, England's Graeme Storm and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño.

Green first came to global attention back in 1997 when he beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam in a play-off in Dubai, and he added a second European Tour victory in at the Austrian Open two years ago 

"The more I put myself in a position to win the more and more I feel like I can do it. The best advice I've had is to pretty much try not to do anything out of your own ability - see what you can achieve and just do the best you can with what is in front of you."

Green’s excellent opening effort round came after a pro-am which he ended worried about his swing.

"It was a bit of a surprise - I'd been playing well for three weeks and all of a sudden I couldn't find it. But I went on the range for probably an hour and an half and got things back on plane."

A curling 35 foot putt for eagle on the 13th, his fourth, settled him after he had bogeyed the one before and six birdies followed.

Green’s countryman, Adam Scott, showed glimpses of the form that made him World Number Three only 12 months ago, as he posted a five under par 66.

McGinley is back in The Open Championship next week after failing to qualify for Birkdale last year and he commented: "I'm comfortable in Scotland.  I come up here to watch Celtic and see (coach) Bob Torrance and sometimes that has an effect. I get a lot of support - from half the population up here anyway!"

Storm was British amateur champion ten years ago, but after early struggles in his pro career went to work cleaning trays outside a cake factory to earn some extra cash.

The 31 year old finally established himself in 2005, however, and two years later won the Open de France. To move to the next level, though, coach Peter Cowen advised him to work on his fitness and a shock was in store when he was tested.

"I had a scan for body fat and things like that," he said. "I'm not going to tell you exactly, but it wasn't very good and obviously it gives you sort of a kick-start.

"Tiger is the fittest guy out here and the best in every department, so being fit is a massive thing and helps you mentally as well.  I enjoy doing it, although I got a new programme on Tuesday and it nearly killed me in the gym."

Storm, a stone lighter than before he began really working out, was in the first group off at 7.30am, birdied the first two and had a hat-trick from the 15th.

Laird joined him with two closing birdies and the 26 year old stated: "I was a little more nervous than usual, so it's obviously a dream start for me."