Bjorn makes happy return with opening 68 at Doral

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MIAMI (Reuters) - Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, inching his way back to form after a sketchy start to the year, had good reason to smile after the WGC-CA Championship first round on Thursday.

Fresh from a four-week break, Bjorn fired a four-under-par 68 in damp, windy conditions to finish one stroke off the lead at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

"I got a little bit lucky early on with a couple of lies and, from there, it was pretty comfortable," the 36-year-old from Silkeborg told reporters after a five-birdie display.

"Normally I would wake up on a day like this and say: 'This is going to be a good day with the wind like this.'

"But when you've had four weeks off, you kind of want to play your way into it. My game was always going to be a little bit rusty."

A nine-times winner on the European Tour, Bjorn had not played competitively since last month's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he lost to South Africa's Trevor Immelman 6&5 in the opening round.

Before that, he had produced mixed form in four starts on the 2007 European Tour with a best finish of tied for 10th at the Dubai Desert Classic.

FAMILY HOLIDAY

He decided to take a four-week break, starting with a family holiday before working on his game with swing coach Pete Cowen for the last two weeks.

"I worked hard with Pete and it seems to be working," said Bjorn after ending the first round one stroke behind co-leaders Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Australia's Robert Allenby.

"I felt good over what I was doing out there today. This is what I need, good rounds like this to get me a little more comfortable on the golf course."

Bjorn, whose most recent European Tour victory came at last year's Irish Open where he finished birdie-birdie, was in low spirits after his start to this season.

"It's been a couple of tough months and I just want to get back to playing my golf and do what I do best, and that's to get my nose in some big tournaments here and there," said the Dane, who has produced six top-10 finishes at the majors.

"I know I still have a lot of work to do and a 68 one day doesn't make everything.

"But it's a good start for me and I'm building for the summer. Right now, I need to go out play some golf and enjoy shooting good numbers."