Dunhill Links Championship: The last time Rich Beem played here he shot 17-over-par in two days, and was then arrested for drink-driving, fined £450 and banned for 18 months. Which would explain why his expectations for yesterday's first round of the Dunhill Links Championship were low.

It would also explain why he was delighted to find himself atop the leaderboard after scoring a five-under 67 around one of the most infamously brutal of links.

"I just came up here blind and I have to tell you I was a little gun-shy pulling the club back, because this course will do that to you," the American confessed afterwards. "But I love playing links golf, and I love playing this golf course."

It certainly looked that way as the 2002 US PGA Champion took advantage of relatively calm conditions to run in six birdies, as well as one bogey, leaving himself tied for the lead, along with Alessandro Tadini, of Italy, and England Ryder Cup player David Howell.

The tournament's format now requires Beem to play St Andrews today and Kingsbarns tomorrow, before returning to the Old Course on Sunday, assuming that he makes the cut.

More to the point, though, it means that he will not have to face Carnoustie in weather forecast over the next three days to be dominated by wind, rain and more wind.

"Yeah, this was the perfect day to get Carnoustie out of the way, although St Andrews can be tough if the wind blows, and so can Kingsbarns," he said.

If yesterday marked a reconciliation between Beem and Carnoustie, it also brought confirmation that one of the more promising stars of European golf has rediscovered his game. Four months ago, Paul Casey was finding it hard to shake the controversy caused by his apparently "anti-American" remarks, and even harder to make a cut. But over the past few weeks the Englishman has gradually rediscovered his touch, with a couple of top-10 finishes, as well as highly commendable four points out of five at last week's Seve Trophy.

Yesterday's four-under-par 68 here was yet another staging post in the recovery, although he might want to forget his tee-shot at the par-three 16th, which left him asking his caddie for a yardage to the flag - a career first on a par-three hole.

"The tee-shot wasn't good enough to be called a shank. It left me with 77 yards to go," he said after making a bogey.

Four months ago he might have crumbled at the indignity of it all. Yesterday, he just laughed, then made a birdie, hitting a beautiful four-iron to 12-feet on the next and holing the putt.

Yet for all Casey's good play, one suspects he will have to play even better if he is to beat his partner at last week's Seve Trophy, Howell, who was six years without a win until last month's BMW International but who now looks like a winner every time he steps on a course.

"This game will never be too easy but it's quite enjoyable at the moment I will admit," said Howell.

He stands fifth on the Order of Merit, and with top three - Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen and Angel Cabrera - all sitting out this week the first prize of €662,415 would give him a real chance of winning it.

And then, of course, there are all the Ryder Cup points on offer.

The eagle came on the 394-yard seventh, his 16th.

"I couldn't see it because it was behind a bunker, but it felt beautiful and a couple of guys cheered."

His round also included four birdies, impressing everyone but himself, it seemed.

"Basically, I played nicely, but I couldn't hole a putt. But I've learned over the last couple of years that if I play nicely for David Howell then I'm going to have a nice week," said golf's "Mr Nice".

Also at Carnoustie, where all six of the Irish competitors were playing, Darren Clarke, who with his wife, Heather, battling cancer has not played for over a month, handed in a flawless 68, with two nines of 34, to lie in a share of fourth place.

Graeme McDowell, playing with financier Dermot Desmond, was a shot further back after a 69 which included a double-bogey seven at the long sixth, his 15th hole.

Padraig Harrington, partnered by JP McManus, had just two birdies in his 70, while Gary Murphy opened with a double-bogey six at the first hole, but then threw in eagle threes at the 12th and 14th to eventually card a 71.

Damien McGrane had two birdies and two bogeys in a level par 72, but Paul McGinley, playing with actor Kyle MacLachlan, slipped to a 74 and will need to improve significantly to survive the cut.

There was also a 72 from Jean Van de Velde, who six years on from blowing the British Open with a closing, triple-bogey seven, paid another visit to the Barry Burn in front of the green.

This time Van de Velde duffed a 100-yard wedge. But a 20-foot putt gave him a bogey five.

A Ryder Cup player of slightly older vintage was another who had a great day on the links, although Sam Torrance was prepared to accept that he played better than nicely - beautifully in fact - in shooting 68 around the Old Course. Even then, he could not escape the word of the day.

"It's nice to come back on to the regular tour and compete like this," said the 52-year-old Scot. "Very nice."

He is again partnered by his teenage son Daniel, two years after they won the team title.

But Torrance's big hope is to become the oldest champion in European Tour history.

"I came here to win," said the 2002 Ryder Cup captain. "I have huge aspirations because I am playing well.

"I'm not crippled yet and I really want to do well. I've played well on the Seniors Tour and that gives you confidence. It's only golf, after all."

Guardian Service

First Round Scores

(British unless stated, Irish in bold, all par 72)

At Carnoustie

67 - Rich Beem (USA), David Howell, Alessandro Tadini (Ita). 68 - Paul Casey, Nick Dougherty, Brett Rumford (Aus), Brian Davis, Darren Clarke, Nick O'Hern (Aus). 69 - Simon Dyson, Eduardo Romero (Arg), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Graeme McDowell. 70 - James Kingston (Rsa), Mark Foster, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Richard Green (Aus), Andrew Coltart, Padraig Harrington, Mark Roe, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam. 71 - Gary Emerson, Miles Tunnicliff, John Bickerton, Gary Murphy, Edward Loar (USA), Scott Drummond, Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Pierre Fulke (Swe), Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood. 72 - Simon Yates, Damien McGrane, Soren Hansen (Den), Titch Moore (Rsa,), Jean Van de Velde (Fra), Stephen Dodd, Gary Orr. 73 - Raymond Russell, Alastair Forsyth, Chris Williams, Steve Webster. 74 - Peter O'Malley (Aus), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Stephen Gallacher, Paul McGinley. 75 - Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Lee Slattery, Joakim Haeggman (Swe). 76 - Gareth Paddison (Nzl), David Frost (Rsa), Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra). 77 - Andrew McLardy (Rsa). 78 - Gregory Hanrahan (USA). 84 - Mikael Lundberg (Swe).

At Kingsbarns

68 - Kenneth Ferrie, Bradley Dredge, Keith Horne (Rsa). 69 - Warren Abery (Rsa), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Simon Khan, Anthony Wall. 70 - Phillip Archer, David Griffiths, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), David Park, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Joakim Backstrom (Swe), Richard Bland. 71 - Henrik Nystrom (Swe), Santiago Luna (Spa), Roger Chapman, Matthew King, Oliver Wilson, Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Marten Olander (Swe), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por). 72 - Gordon Brand Jnr, Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Marcel Siem (Ger), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Stuart Manley, Mahal Pearce (Nzl). 73 - Marcus Fraser (Aus), Martin Doyle (Aus), Garry Houston, David Lynn, Peter Hanson (Swe), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Steven O'Hara, Peter Gustafsson (Swe), Amandeep Johl (Ind), Stephen Scahill (Nzl), Johan Axgren (Swe). 74 - Mattias Eliasson (Swe), Brad Kennedy (Aus), Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Ben Mason, David Bransdon (Aus), Matthew Richardson, Mikko Ilonen (Fin). 75 - Paul Eales, Adam Groom (Aus), Marc Cayeux (Zim), Martin Maritz (Rsa). 76 - Christopher Hanell (Swe), Fredrik Henge (Swe). 77 - Leif Westerberg (Swe). 78 - Fulton Allem (Rsa).

At St Andrews

68 - Sam Torrance. 69 - Peter Baker, Christian Cevaer (Fra), Anders Hansen (Den), Philip Golding, Francesco Molinari (Ita).70 - Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Paul Broadhurst, Peter Hedblom (Swe), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Simon Wakefield, Andrew Marshall, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Patrik Sjoland (Swe). 71 - Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Mark Murless (Rsa), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Des Terblanche (Rsa). 72 - Jamie Donaldson, David Carter, Barry Lane, Jonathan Lomas, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa), Markus Brier (Aut). 73 - Peter Senior (Aus), Graeme Storm, Ian Garbutt, Sandy Lyle, Sam Little, Johan Skold (Swe). 74 - Tony Johnstone (Zim), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa), Eric Ramsay, Richard Finch. 75 - Andrew Oldcorn, Sven Struver (Ger), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Rolf Muntz (Ned), Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned). 76 - Peter Fowler (Aus), Paul Lawrie, Costantino Rocca (Ita), Klas Eriksson (Swe), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Neil Cheetham, Stuart Little. 77 - Malcolm Mackenzie. 78 - Jason Knutzon (USA). 79 - Gregory Havret (Fra), Lee Williams (USA), Robert Coles.

Leading teams: 61 - Des Terblance and Brand De Villiers. 62 - Christian Cevaer and Allan Taylor, Bradley Dredge and Eric Gleacher, Rich Beem and John Tyson.