LOCH LOMOND, Scotland, 14 July 2006 — Sweden’s Johan Edfors, twice a winner already this season, sprinkled nine birdies in a six-under-par 65 to share the lead with Briton David Drysdale in the Scottish Open first round yesterday.

Edfors and Drysdale took advantage of calm and sunny conditions at picturesque Loch Lomond to move one stroke ahead of British duo Darren Clarke and Miles Tunnicliff.

Australian David Bransdon was also on five-under with two holes to play.

Edfors, 30, who won the TCL Classic and British Masters earlier this year, made a blistering start with four birdies in the first five holes.

He dropped strokes at the sixth, 12th and 16th but made further inroads on par at the eighth, 10th, 13th, 15th and 18th.

Drysdale, backed by his home crowd, was consistency personified.

Starting his round at the 10th, the 31-year-old from Edinburgh picked up six birdies in an error-free round.

Earlier, Clarke explained why Sundays were proving less than fun days for him.

Bob Geldof’s Boomtown Rats once sang about a dislike of Mondays and it seems the same applies to Clarke and Sundays.

“I am close to playing okay but mentally I am not quite there,” the 37-year-old from Northern Ireland told reporters.

Last week’s European Open at the K Club in Ireland typified Clarke’s season.

He went into the final round two shots off the pace but a closing four-over-par 76 ruined his chances and victory went instead to fellow Briton Stephen Dodd.

Former US Open champion Hale Irwin, 61, finished his round in brilliant fashion with five successive birdies to shoot a three-under 68.

Fellow American Fred Couples pulled out with back trouble before the start of the round.

Scot Sam Torrance, 52, making a record-breaking 700th tour appearance, carded a 74 while South Africans Retief Goosen and Ernie Els returned matching 70s.

Wie Plans to Continue Blending

PGA and LPGA Events

In Silvis, Illinois, Michelle Wie likes blending PGA and LPGA events and says she is not sure which professional golf tour she will end up playing full-time in the future.

“It’s not like I’m a full-time member of the LPGA or a full-time member of the PGA,” said Wie, who turned professional nine months ago. “I’m just still trying to figure out what I want to do and doing what I want to do.

“Obviously I want to win an LPGA tournament and I want to play in PGA tournaments. I feel like I’m having a really good balance right now of playing men’s events and women’s events.” The 16-year-old Wie, who will attempt to make her first cut in five PGA Tour starts at this week’s John Deere Classic, doesn’t have a preference between the two tours. “I really enjoy playing the LPGA and I really enjoy playing the PGA and I really enjoy playing in Asia and Europe. I love going all over and playing and I don’t really have a favorite,” Wie said. Defending champion Sean O’Hair said it would be easier for the Korean-American teenager to be accepted into the PGA ranks if she won an LPGA event first.

Wie has finished fifth or better in five of the last six LPGA major tournaments and tied for third in the US Women’s Open two weeks ago.

“I know that a win on an LPGA event will come,” Wie said. “I just want to do what I want to do, and that’s always been my kind of motto. I’m just going to do what I want to do and not really follow anything.”