Using a swing that was strictly work in progress, Scotland's fallen hero Paul Lawrie took the lead after the first round of the £1.4m Johnnie Walker Championship with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 compiled in the worst conditions of the day.

With Steven O'Hara, who is in need of a good result to rescue his playing rights for next season, also on the leaderboard on 68 in a five-way tie for second place and four others under par, it was a welcome day of tartan cheer for Scotland's beleaguered golfing troops.

Lawrie, 40, whose ticket to tour is also in jeopardy as his 10-year European Tour exemption for winning the Open Championship in 1999 runs out this year, turned to Bob Torrance for help in July and yesterday he put the master's lessons into practice with a growing sense of confidence.

"I hadn't been using the changes in tournaments and Bob told me that we are a team and we have to work it out together, so let's start doing it," said Lawrie, who has been setting off regularly at 4.30am for six-hour round trips from Aberdeen to Largs to see Torrance. "Bob doesn't see it as a major overhaul, but he is trying to get me to put more weight on my right at address, lift my left heel as I swing and get my body out of the way on the way down. My body used to get stuck and I hit a lot of hooks."

Lawrie, whose last European Tour victory was seven years ago in Wales, identified just one bad shot all day, a hooked 5-iron at the par-5 last from which he still rescued par. The highlight was a 40ft putt for eagle 3 at the ninth.

O'Hara, a new father, credited a good night's sleep that left him feeling fresh and focused yesterday. His son Logan is only three weeks old and wife Jill took on night duties while O'Hara slept in the spare room. "I slept from 8.30pm to 5am and felt really focused this morning," he said.

The 29-year-old who lives in Bothwell was wide awake over the closing eight holes which he covered in five under par. Although he was pleased at taking those birdie chances he still lamented four missed putts from inside five feet.

O'Hara, a former Scottish amateur champion and Walker Cup player who was promoted last season from the Challenge Tour, is No.181 on the Race to Dubai order of merit and needs a high finish to put him among the top 115 who retain their cards.

Coached by Ian Rae, he has been taking extra putting tuition from Alan White in an effort to capitalise on his highly rated tee-to-green play. He is being careful not to put himself under too much counter-productive pressure. "I lost my card before and it's not a big deal," he said. "You can get it back; it's not the end of the world. Last year I enjoyed the Challenge Tour. I thought I was going to hate it but it was actually good fun. I should have my card done and dusted. I just have to remain patient."

O'Hara hopes to be joined on tour next season by his brother Paul, losing finalist in the Scottish Amateur Championship for the third time this year and first reserve for the GB&I Walker Cup team. "I think he really deserved to be on that team. I was gutted for him," said Steven.

Colin Montgomerie was looking for a fillip this week at the tournament of which he is chairman instead lost two balls in an opening 76 which leaves him with work to do to avoid missing a fourth cut in a row for the first time in his illustrious career.

There was better news for Alan McLean, the Clydebank-born, South Africa-raised and Canada-based Scot, who had a 69 in his battle for survival, and Andrew Coltart, who was home in three-under-par 33 late in the day for a 70.

Despite damp underfoot conditions and heavy rain later in the day, the attendance was 6020, just 99 down on last year when there was a much stronger field.