Westwood, Tullo share Scottish Open lead

INVERNESS, Scotland, July 7 (UPI) -- Lee Westwood and Mark Tullo each turned in 7-under-par 65s Thursday and share the first-round lead of the European Tour's Scottish Open.

Westwood closed with a bogey and two pars and Tullo had five birdies on each side in building their leads.

George Coetzee, Peter Hanson and Thorbjorn Olesen are tied for third at 6-under 66. Olesen was 6-under after 13 holes and parred in while Hanson had three birdies in his last five holes in taking his share of third. Coetzee overcame three bogeys en route to his 6-under day.

Thirteen other players are tied for sixth, just two strokes behind Westwood and Tullo. That group includes world No. 1-ranked Luke Donald.

Westwood, the No. 2-ranked player, played the back nine of the Castle Stuart Golf Links first Thursday and was 1 under after seven holes. But he had a birdie at No. 17 and an eagle at the par-5, 607-yard 18th hole after a 2-iron into the wind put him within 4 feet.

He had four birdies on the first six holes of the front nine but a bogey at the seventh hole returned him to 7-under.

Tullo opened with four consecutive birdies but had three bogeys -- and a birdie -- in his next four holes. He birdied all five even-numbered holes on his second nine.