Golf:Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen went to the turn in 29 shots to take over the lead in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart today. Kjeldsen, five off the pace at halfway, birdied seven of the first eight holes in charging to 14 under par.

He was one ahead of Scot Martin Laird, himself seven under for his round with six holes still to go, but overnight leaders Francesco Molinari and Alex Noren had still to tee off.

In a real birdie fest they were joined on 12 under by Swede Henrik Stenson, England’s Andrew Marshall and Irishman Shane Lowry, with world number one and defending champion Luke Donald two further back after grabbing a birdie at the 439-yard first on another relatively calm day in Inverness.

American star Phil Mickelson, however, had to settle for only one birdie in his first five holes and was eight under.

Laird joined Kjeldsen on 14 under, but it was not long before Molinari and Noren were back in the picture. The Italian two-putted the long second and did the same on the par four third after driving the green, while the Swede chipped dead and then made a 20-footer.

That made it a four-way tie, with Donald’s four birdies in the first six lifting him into a tie for third with Scot Marc Warren, Australian left-hander Richard Green and former winner Thomas Levet, who yesterday made his first halfway cut of the season.

Donald, however, missed the green at the 464-yard seventh and bogeyed to be two behind again.