Nine birdies in a row. You would think that might be enough to finish a round of golf with a comfortable lead and a rather pleased expression.

Scott Drummond managed the first part at the inaugural Portugal Legends Championship, but the second came with a catch. Despite producing one of the most extraordinary scoring runs of his career, the Scot ended the opening day sharing the lead with Paul Lawrie and Jean Hugo.

All three signed for six-under-par rounds of 66 at Pinheirinho in Comporta, south of Lisbon, leaving a tightly packed leaderboard heading into Saturday.

For Drummond, though, this was no ordinary 66.

Nine Holes, Nine Birdies and One Missed Opportunity

The 2004 BMW PGA Championship winner at Wentworth began quietly, missing a couple of early birdie chances before finally getting moving at the sixth.

A sand wedge to 10 feet provided the first birdie. Another followed at the par-five seventh, where he chipped his third shot close.

Then the putts started dropping. And they kept dropping.

From the sixth through to the 14th, Drummond made nine consecutive birdies, equalling what tournament organisers described as the world record for successive birdies in professional golf.

“I just hit a hot streak; it was pretty surreal. I knew that guys had made nine before, but I didn’t know what the record was. It makes it a bit more disappointing that I didn’t make my putt for 10 in a row,” said Drummond after his record-tying round.

The sequence included birdie putts from 15, 18 and 12 feet, with Drummond repeatedly giving himself opportunities through accurate approach play.

The Pinheirinho layout helped reward that precision, although he was quick to point out that its generous driving areas do not necessarily make the course straightforward.

Its demanding green complexes place a premium on distance control, and Drummond felt he had been particularly fortunate with his yardages.

There was, of course, the small matter of actually holing everything once he reached the greens.

Paul Lawrie Finds His Form Again

While Drummond supplied the day’s statistical headline, Paul Lawrie provided a rather different story.

The 1999 Open champion has endured a difficult spell with his game, admitting that his performances over the previous 18 months had left him considering whether it was worth continuing.

Retirement, however, could wait.

“I’ve been struggling, I’ve been playing pretty poorly,” said Lawrie. “It hasn’t been a great 18 months, to be honest. I thought, right, I either have to dig in and do some work or just stop, and I wasn’t ready to stop. So I’ve been practising every morning at home, and it’s nice to come out to a tournament for the first time in a while and play well.”

That extra work was evident at Pinheirinho.

Lawrie repeatedly gave himself birdie opportunities with his iron play, hitting several approaches inside 10 feet. He also credited putting adjustments made with his nephew for helping him find greater confidence on the greens.

One of the later starters, he needed a testing par putt at the difficult 18th to preserve his share of the lead.

He duly holed it.

For a player who had been questioning his future in tournament golf, a 66 was a welcome return for all those mornings spent practising.

Jean Hugo Completes the Three-Way Tie

Jean Hugo ensured the opening round would finish with three names at the top.

The South African, who claimed his maiden Staysure Legends Tour victory at the Reignwood Legends Championship in Beijing, recorded seven birdies on his way to matching Drummond and Lawrie.

Hugo was particularly complimentary about Pinheirinho, although he suggested the closing stretch could become increasingly important as the tournament approaches its conclusion.

The back nine features several demanding holes, while the contours of the greens require players to think carefully about where they leave their approach shots.

His opening 66 suggests he managed those challenges rather well.

A Crowded Leaderboard Heading Into Saturday

There is little breathing room for the leading trio.

Johan Edfors and Mark Brown sit just one shot behind on five under, while a group at four under includes Craig Farrelly, who arrived in Portugal following victory at the previous Staysure Legends Tour event.

With two rounds remaining, there is plenty still to play for at the inaugural championship.

Play resumes at 9 am on Saturday, with organisers offering free spectator entry.

Drummond has already produced a stretch of golf that will take some beating. The rather inconvenient detail for him is that, despite nine consecutive birdies, he still has two players alongside him and a sizeable chasing pack close behind.