Nothing rotten in the state of Denmark as Bjorn and Hansen shine

Scandinavia has never had an Open champion, indeed, it is still waiting for its first major, but if Carl Pettersson, Soren Hansen or Thomas Bjorn have anything to do about it that imbalance will soon be redressed. Yesterday the top of the leaderboard was littered with Swedes, Danes and even the odd Finn. The message was simple – the Norse code works and spells danger for the old order.

Not that Scandinavia has become the overnight sensation of golf. For years their golfers have been bubbling under, impressing all with their tidy swings and meticulous approach. What they needed, however, was a superstar to rise above the faceless, a player they could label their favourite "sson". Jesper Parnevik threatened, as did Per-Ulrik Johansson. Recently it has been Bjorn to take up the challenge and in his slipstream have emerged two exciting countrymen. No longer is the golf rotten in the state of Denmark and yesterday Bjorn and Hansen emphasised this. The latter won his first title – the Murphy's Irish Open at Fota Island – three weeks ago, completing an incredible two months for Denmark after his namesake, Anders, had won the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. The Hansens had jumped out of Bjorn's vast shadow.

A 69 at Muirfield, to go with Thursday's 68, catapulted Soren into contention for a major for the first time yesterday and his five-under total shared the early clubhouse lead with the burly Swede Pettersson until the six-under crowd spoiled their party. In the first round, Hansen had confounded all the experts who said the key to Muirfield was to hit the fairways. The 28-year-old found only seven out of the 14 but thanks to five birdies still posted a 68 to lie one off the pace.

Yesterday, Hansen's progress was more orthodox as he hit the short grass 11 times and this time he needed only two birdies on a bogey-less card. The man from Copenhagen, however, was not impressed.

"I didn't really play well from tee to green today. It was just a long grind, but it doesn't look like that on the scorecard because there weren't any dropped shots," he said. "But I had a lot of ups-and-downs and a lot of good putts for par today." Maybe it was because he was scrambling that the crowds chose to look elsewhere today. Indeed, the media were not much more interested with only seven turning up for his post-round press conference. "Probably nobody believes in a Dane anymore, but they should," he said. At least the spotlight was finding Bjorn now and again as the 31-year-old from Sikkeborg was recovering from a recent slump by firing a 70 to go to four under, two shots off the lead and one off his fellow Dane. Hansen was glad to see him up there.

"Thomas started it all off for us, showing the way for a lot of years, winning a lot of tournaments as well as playing good majors. I think for myself and Anders he showed us the light at the end of the tunnel and we've shown it can be done."

It was to Pettersson's credit that he, too, hung in there to add a 70 to his first-round 67. His maiden European Tour title came at the Algarve Open earlier this year and the confidence that imbued has helped him to five other top 10-finishes this year. The 24-year-old from Gothenburg was, like Hansen, more solid than spectacular. He barely made a putt and because of that only two birdies – on the second and the fifth – graced his card. But, critically, there were even fewer bogeys, his only blip coming on the par-three seventh. When the forecasted gales arrive today such consistency might prove invaluable.

"I have a pretty low ball flight so I can keep it under the wind,' Pettersson said. "I think I'm reasonably straight but this week I haven't hit many drivers. I've hit a lot of two irons which has been working."

Behind him Finland's Mikko Ilonen was also showing his liking for links golf by shooting a 70 to comfortably make the cut at one under. Two years ago at Hoylake, the 22-year-old from Lahti won the Amateur Championship and used his exemption at last year's Open at Lytham to good effect by finishing joint ninth. This campaign, however, he has missed five out of eight cuts on the European Tour and is desperate for a high finish here if only to send him up the Order of Merit towards a 2003 card. Muirfield may just prove his and Scandinavia's salvation.