Frenchman Gregory Havret shot 5-under-par 68 Thursday and has a two-stroke lead through 18 holes at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Auchterarder, Scotland.

His round started with a bogey at the first hole, but was followed by six birdies, including three in a row (4-6).

Havret, a two-time winner on the European Tour, leads Gary Orr, Paul Broadhurst, and Christian Cevaer, who all shot 3-under 70.

The first round featured a stinging criticism of the Gleneagles golf course by the tour's former top-ranked player, Lee Westwood of England.

You can't bring the Ryder Cup onto greens like this, Westwood told the Scotsman newspaper after an opening 1-under 72.

The Ryder Cup competition against the United States will be held in 2014.

Scotland's Marc Warren, the defending champion, opened with an even-par 73, good for a tie for 23rd place with 16 others.

In 2007, Warren beat England's Simon Wakefield in a two-hole playoff.

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