Bjorn fires course record 64, England's Griffiths leads

SAN ROQUE, Spain, Apr 28 (Reuters) Thomas Bjorn kick-started his year with a course-record eight-under-par 64 today to move within a stroke of the Spanish Open second round lead.

The Dane showed he had recovered fully from a neck injury that cost him a five-week absence earlier this year, bettering by one shot the San Roque New Course record set yesterday by first round leaders Jose-Felipe Lima and Graeme Storm by a shot.

A faultless eight-birdie round took him within a stroke of early leader David Griffiths of Britain, who posted a 65 to lie 11-under on 133.

Bjorn, the man who lost the 2003 British Open when he was three shots ahead with four holes to play, has a recurring neck injury and in February it flared up again after playing the Dubai Desert Classic.

It followed a period at the end of last season when a mysterious respiratory illness also forced him off the fairways.

Bjorn, who has fallen from 22nd in the world rankings to 34th, said: ''After Dubai I went five weeks when I literally didn't touch a club and it wasn't much fun because you feel like you are losing out.

''It's a time when players get themselves ready for the big tournaments.

''But today was one of those days when golf seems easy. I had had six or seven months with not a lot of progress but a month ago I started getting my fitness back and now it seems I've got my game back.'' Bjorn's career setbacks also include last year's European Open at the K Club in Ireland where he let go a four-shot lead with two holes left by taking an 11 at the penultimate hole.

The Dane will skip the event this year, explaining: ''I have too many bad memories, not so much from last year as the year before when I walked off the course.'' He retired from the tournament in 2004 after only six holes, citing ''demons in the head'', which it was suspected were much to do with his collapse in the previous year's British Open.

Today's early leader Griffiths spent two years playing on U.S minor tours to gain experience.

It is the first time the 25-year-old, who finished third at European Tour qualifying school at San Roque last year, has led after two rounds.

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