Scandinavian Masters:It was a case of Strange by name, strange by nature in the first round of the Scandinavian Masters in Stockholm yesterday.
Australian Scott Strange was called into the 1.6 million event at 45 minutes' notice and made it to the tee with just minutes to spare, but ended the day with a course record and one-shot lead.
Strange was first reserve at Arlandastad and only learned he was in the 156-strong field while on the bus en route to the course after Scotland's David Drysdale withdrew with a neck injury.
The 30-year-old from Perth was first out at 7.30am local time and only arrived at the course at 7.21am, but sprinted to the 10th tee and promptly started with a birdie.
Four more birdies and a bogey added up to an outward nine of 32 and two more birdies coming home saw him establish the course record with a 64, six under par, one shot ahead of Swedish amateur Fredrik Qvicker and Birmingham's Sam Walker.
"I was on the bus at 6.45am when I got a phone call saying I was in," Strange revealed. "As soon as I heard that we hit a traffic jam and the bus driver wouldn't break the speed limit for me.
"I got off the bus at 7.21am and flashed through the car park and arrived on the 10th tee puffing away. I didn't even have a caddie but fortunately David's caddie was there and agreed to work for me instead.
"I had to get him (Gerry Byrne) to get my clubs and I pretty much ran past him to the tee, changed my shoes, left my other shoes in the starter's tent and said 'Let's go'.
"I was thinking on the bus the worst case scenario is that I'll be disqualified, second case scenario is that I get a two-shot penalty for being late but the best-case scenario is making my tee time and that's what happened."
Strange did not even have time for a practice round because his clubs did not arrive until Wednesday.
There was no such drama for Ireland's Gary Murphy as three birdies and one bogey saw him finish best on the day of the four-strong Irish contingent on two under-par 68. David Higgins mixed four birdies with three bogies as he returned a 69, one better than Damien McGrane, with Dubliner Peter Lawrie. shooting a 71.
The unknown Qvicker has just finished his first year at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and is working in a golf shop this summer to help make ends meet.
The 21-year-old received an invitation into the tournament after narrowly failing to qualify and made the most of it with five birdies in seven holes in a back nine of 31.
Walker qualified for the US Open earlier this season, his first major championship, but a missed cut at Oakmont was part of a depressing sequence of 13 early exits in 14 events.
The 29-year-old bounced back with 20th place in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Germany and ninth in the Russian Open a fortnight ago, but still needs to improve from 148th on the Order of Merit into the top 115 by the end of the season to keep his card.
Star attraction John Daly, second after the first round at Southern Hills before fading to 32nd, could only manage a 72, two over par, the same score as playing partner and defending champion Marc Warren of Scotland.
