Scandinavian MastersEngland's Barry Lane demonstrated how far he has recovered from knee surgery to shoot 64, the age of his caddie Pete Coleman, in the first round of the Scandinavian Masters here yesterday.
It left the 45-year-old veteran of 533 European Tour appearances one behind the early leader Marc Cayeux, who was born two years after Lane launched his professional career in 1976. The 27-year-old Zimbabwean shot a personal tour best of 63.
Sharing third place is Robert Karlsson of Sweden and the Australian Mark Hensby on 65.
Lane, whose victory in last year's British Masters was his first in 10 years, declared: "Pete and I are the oldest partnership on tour with 109 years between us.
"Unless I go on for another eight years or so I won't catch Sam Torrance, who has made nearly 700 Tour starts, but it's nice to be able to show the youngsters how it's done - sometimes.
"On June 20th I had a camera inside my left knee - I was on crutches the week before unable to walk, never mind play.
"They thought it might be the meniscus and gave me a cortisone jab. It didn't work, so they operated. They didn't find anything, but gave it a good clean out and it doesn't hurt anymore. My right knee is a bit sore through over-compensating mind you.
"It was a shame the surgery came at the height of the season," Lane admitted.
In April he had looked set to celebrate some evidence of good form when he led going to the last tee in the Portuguese Open, only to close with a nightmare nine.
"It proved golf is a game of inches. Everything that could go wrong did. But I'm playing well again and maybe this will be my week - the last time here I shot 62 or 63."
Yesterday preferred lies applied following flooding and five holes on the course were shortened.
Cayeux, with eight African and European Challenge Tour wins, was born in Lancaster but emigrated with his English mother and South African father as a baby.
"I've thought about recording my nationality as British with the Ryder Cup in mind, but I owe everything to the Zimbabwe Junior Golf programme, which is supported by Nick Price," said Cayeux.
"My mum used to run a petrol station but had to quit when the fuel ran out and my dad, who's an electrician, is also out of work. I left school before I was 15 and my parents told me to go ahead and pursue a golf career - this is a chance to give them something back."
A big week has become a must for Cayeux, a graduate from the 2004 Challenge Tour who is finding form after a difficult time.
He has missed 12 cuts in 19 starts, leaving him stranded in 141st place on the European money-list, when only a top 115 place at the end of the season will guarantee he keeps his card.
Tournament favourite Adam Scott, who had predicted Hensby might be one of his chief threats, shot a modest 70 and Jesper Parnevik, returning after a two-month break, carded 71.
Peter Lawrie was best of the Irish. He followed up on his top-five finish in Hamburg with a four-under-par 67 which included six birdies and two bogeys.
Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane are also well placed after opening 68s, but Stephen Browne, on 73, and Philip Walton, on 76, will struggle to make the cut.
