Dougherty, Hanson, Linhart lead SAS Masters

Last year's runner-up Nick Dougherty of England, Peter Hanson of Sweden and Pedro Linhart of Spain shot 4-under 66s in the rain and wind to lead after the first round of the SAS Masters on Thursday.

Dougherty enjoyed a bogey-free round and eagled the 442-yard 12th hole, his third, where his 142-yard wedge went straight into the hole for the shot of the day.

"It's been a long while since I've had a round with no bogeys," Dougherty said. "I had plenty of them last week, that's for sure." He had rounds of 77 and 82 at last week's PGA Championship.

Adjusting from the PGA Championship at tough Oakland Hills to the Arlandastad course north of Stockholm was not easy.

"It's an enormous difference," Hanson said. "Here the fairways are wider and the greens softer. You have to play aggressive and go for the pin here."

He made six birdies, but began with a bogey and had another one on the short 18th, his ninth hole.

"It was a good score," Hanson said. "It's always nice to get one early in a tournament."

Linhart, who unlike his co-leaders played in the afternoon, had seven birdies and three bogeys.

Robert Karlsson, at 21st the highest-ranked player in the field, tied for 69th after a 72.

The Swedish Ryder Cup player, who had top-20 finishes in all four majors this year, has played this European PGA event every year since 1991.

"It's important for Swedish golf to be here," he said.

Other world-class Swedes such as Henrik Stenson and Carl Pettersson skipped the tournament.

Two-time former champion Jesper Parnevik, the last Swede to win the event in 1998, shot 68 and shared 11th.