Oosthuizen part of four-way lead at Dunhill Links, Donald also starts well

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen put himself in contention for another memorable victory at St. Andrews, taking a share of the lead Thursday after the first round of the Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour.

The South African shot a 6-under 66 in excellent conditions at Kingsbarns, joining Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Markus Brier and Michael Hoey at the top of the leaderboard.

The tournament ends Sunday at St. Andrews, the scene of Oosthuizen’s sensational seven-shot win in the 2010 British Open.

“There’s nothing better than holding the Claret Jug at St. Andrews,” Oosthuizen said. “Hopefully, at the end of the week, it’s a different trophy. That would be special.”

Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell was one of six players a stroke behind after shooting a 67 at Kingsbarns, where top-ranked Luke Donald had a 69 on one of three courses at the $5 million pro-celebrity event.

Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson, the top American in the field, was five shots back at 71, while U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot 72.

Each member of the 178-man field will play all three par-72 courses over the first three days of the pro-am. Kingsbarns hosted the high-profile contenders and had most of the low scoring on Thursday.

Seven of the top 10 on the leaderboard played their first rounds there, with Brier and Hoey (St. Andrews) and Scotland’s Marc Warren (5 under at Carnoustie) the only players to make a serious mark elsewhere.

Oosthuizen missed last year’s Dunhill Links -- and with it a return to St. Andrews two months after his first major win -- because of an ankle injury. He made seven birdies in his round after starting on No. 10 with his brother Rikus as a playing partner.

“I didn’t watch (the Dunhill Links) on TV last year because I was too upset that I wasn’t there,” said Oosthuizen, whose sole victory this year came at the Africa Open. “But it’s been nice to come back here and experience everything again. With the weather like this, you should take advantage of it. You never know what’s round the corner here.”

Cabrera-Bello squandered the chance to take the outright lead at 7 under by bogeying the last hole. The 27-year-old Spaniard rolled in six birdies and had an eagle at the par-5 No. 3.

Second-ranked Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington and former amateur star Tom Lewis were among the 11 players at 4 under.

Lewis shot to fame at the British Open at Royal St. George's this summer, shooting a 65 -- the lowest round by an amateur in championship history -- on the opening day. He then helped Great Britain and Ireland win the Walker Cup earlier this month in Aberdeen before turning professional, tying for 10th in his debut in the paid ranks in Austria last week.

The 20-year-old has six more events this season to earn around $250,000 to secure full playing rights in 2012, but knows it is certainly possible after U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy finished third here in 2007 to do just that.

"Rory got his card in three starts and hopefully I can do as well as that," Lewis said. "I'm disappointed in my finish but 4 under is not going to leave me too far behind.

"I've seen it (events like this) on TV and this is where I want to be. It's great that I'm here but it's disappointing that I'm not top of the leaderboard. It's going to leave a bad memory."

Donald is aiming for his fifth victory this year and to improve his standing at the top of the European Tour money list.

Aside from a bogey at No. 7, where he three-putted for the first time since the British Open in July, Donald was error-free. He had three birdies in five holes after the turn, just when the wind started to pick up off the North Sea in the early afternoon.

After getting advice from former coach Clive Tucker, a refreshed McDowell returned from three weeks off to make four birdies and an eagle at Kingsbarns. He had a double-bogey 6 at No. 12, his third hole.

McDowell enjoyed a brilliant season in 2010, winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and then securing the winning point in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, but has struggled to reproduce that form since.

"At the PGA Championship things came to a head," McDowell said. "Myself and my caddie had to have a bit of a heart-to-heart as to what we were doing and what we needed to change. It was a bit of soul-searching and Clive was the answer, a guy that understands my game very well and was probably a lot to answer for why I played well in 2010.

"I'm not breaking my ties with Pete (Cowen), I still want him to coach me but I needed another opinion on things,” he explained. "I've got more clarity of thought with my game, which excites me. At one point in August I really wasn't looking forward to a busy schedule at the end of the season."