Lawrie steady as amateur star Kinhult shares Nordea Masters lead

Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult. Picture © Getty Images

As Peter Lawrie posted a fine 69, Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult delighted the crowds in the first round of the Nordea Masters by taking a share of the lead with a superb five under par 67.

The 18-year old, who recently held off Ireland's Cormac Sharvin to win the prestigious Lytham Trophy, played the back nine in five under, birdieing the par five 18th  on a windy day at PGA Sweden National in Malmö.

Kinhult is tied at the top with his fellow Swede Jens Dantorp and Englishman Chris Paisley, with nine players a shot back on four under par.

World Number Four Henrik Stenson, making his first appearance of the season in Europe, opened with a 70, while his 2014 Ryder Cup team-mates Thomas Bjørn and Stephen Gallacher lie in a share of 41st place on one under.

“It’s pretty special to play in a European Tour event and to play here in Sweden," Kinhult said. "That score was thanks to brilliant putting. I played really well from tee to green but I also holed a lot of putts for birdie and for par. I didn’t expect much, just to have a great week and gain some experience. So far, so good.”

Lawrie, who is desperate to regain his card on invitations and lies 131st in the Race to Dubai, had just 28 putts in a bogey-free 69 to share 13th place while Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin hit just eight greens in regulation but managed two birdies and two bogeys in a 72 to share 61st.

It was a battle for the rest of the Irish contingent with Michael Hoey also hitting just eight greens in regulation in a two over 74 for 106th spot.

Mount Juliet's Kevin Phelan, who is 79th in the Race to Dubai, was left to rue 34 putts as he ended the day tied 136th after a 76 while Damien McGrane's six over 78 left him tied 152nd.

Nordea Masters, PGA Sweden National (Par 72)

67 C Paisley (Eng), J Dantorp (Swe), M Kinhult (am) (Swe), 

68 M Carlsson (Swe), P Oriol (Esp), L Slattery (Eng), T Lewis (Eng), T Pieters (Bel), S Soderberg (Swe), B Hebert (Fra), A Otaegui (Esp), M Kieffer (Ger), 

69 A Levy (Fra), C Bouniol (Fra), O Fisher (Eng), H Otto (RSA), Peter Lawrie (Irl), B Ritthammer (Ger), C Shinkwin (Eng), A Tadini (Ita), S Henry (Sco), S Wakefield (Eng), J Hahn (USA), 

70 O Farr (Wal), D Woltman (USA), A Cañizares (Esp), K Broberg (Swe), A Velasco (Esp), F Zanotti (Par), A Noren (Swe), F Fritsch (Ger), P Uihlein (USA), E Pepperell (Eng), S Forsstrom (Swe), H Stenson (Swe), S Kim (USA), D Fichardt (RSA), B Hellgren (Swe), D Drysdale (Sco), C Lloyd (Eng),

71 J Edfors (Swe), C Doak (Sco), J Singh (Ind), D Chopra (Swe), J Morrison (Eng), S Hansen (Den), D Lipsky (USA), S Walker (Eng), T Bjørn (Den), L Bjerregaard (Den), P Hanson (Swe), A McArthur (Sco), R Karlberg (Swe), A Pavan (Ita), P Larrazábal (Esp), B Virto Astudillo (Esp), J Roos (RSA), S Gallacher (Sco), T Olesen (Den), J Parry (Eng), 

72 R Jacquelin (Fra), R Cabrera-Bello (Esp), A Johnston (Eng), S Jeppesen (Swe), L Gillgren (Swe), S Kjeldsen (Den), J Lagergren (Swe), J Fahrbring (Swe), F Aguilar (Chi), M Tullo (Chi), R Kakko (Fin), J Huldahl (Den), T Van Der Walt (RSA), R Green (Aus), N Fasth (Swe), B Dredge (Wal), G Havret (Fra), F Andersson Hed (Swe), Gareth Maybin (Nir), E Grillo (Arg), J Scrivener (Aus), D Howell (Eng), S Kapur (Ind), R Paratore (Ita), F Kvarnstrom (am) (Swe), 

73 S Webster (Eng), R Dinwiddie (Eng), S Fallon (Eng), M Nixon (Eng), M Lundberg (Swe), R Karlsson (Swe), T Fisher Jnr (RSA), S Benson (Eng), M Jiménez (Esp), T Jaidee (Tha), D Stewart (Sco), B Evans (Eng), W Ormsby (Aus), N Colsaerts (Bel), M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), M Grönberg (Swe), G Storm (Eng), 

74 O Wilson (Eng), S Hend (Aus), J Garcia Pinto (Esp), J Campillo (Esp), N Lemke (Swe), M Jonzon (Swe), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), P Edberg (Swe), R Gonzalez (Arg), M Ilonen (Fin), D Gaunt (Eng), J Blixt (Swe), K Aphibarnrat (Tha), R Santos (Por), J Rask (Swe), M Foster (Eng), M Ford (Eng), T Murray (Eng), Michael Hoey (Nir), O Bergqvist (am) (Swe), 

75 A Quiros (Esp), C Del Moral (Esp), P Widegren (Swe), R McEvoy (Eng), E Espana (Fra), A Marshall (Eng), S Hutsby (Eng), J Carlsson (Swe), M Lampert (Ger), A Hansen (Den), J Barnes (Eng), P Archer (Eng), B Åkesson (Swe), 

76 P Maddy (Eng), J Lando Casanova (Fra), Kevin Phelan (Irl), E De La Riva (Esp), A Jacobsson (Swe), J Walters (RSA), J Kruger (RSA), L Jensen (Den), J Sjöholm (Swe), A Hortal (Esp), J Van Zyl (RSA), 

77 D Brooks (Eng), R Finch (Eng), B Staben (Ger), P Hedblom (Swe), M Bremner (RSA), 

78 J Luiten (Ned), Damien McGrane (Irl), 

79 M Madsen (Den), 

80 M Larsson (Swe), 

82 W Harrold (Eng).