Olesen hopes best is yet to come after bright start at British Masters

Former Ryder Cup winner Thorbjorn Olesen hopes the best years of his career are still ahead of him as he claimed a share of the lead on six-under-par after day one of the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry.

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Olesen carded six birdies and no bogeys in a superb 66 which was matched late in the day by New Zealand's Ryan Fox, who birdied his last three holes.

The pair enjoyed a one-shot lead over Scotland's Richie Ramsay, Germany's Hurly Long and China's Ashun Wu, while defending champion Richard Bland carded a 73 on his 500th DP World Tour appearance.

Paul Dunne is the best of the Irish contingent on four-over after opening with a 76. He's one shot better off than Jonathan Caldwell, while Cormac Sharvin is right down the bottom of the leaderboard on nine-over following his 81.

Olesen, who beat three-time major winner Jordan Spieth in their singles match at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, is attempting to rebuild his career after he was cleared in December last year of sexually assaulting a woman on a British Airways flight in July 2019.

The 32-year-old claimed he turned into an "automaton" and was not in control of his body after drinking and taking prescription-only sleeping pills before a flight from Nashville to London, following a tournament in Memphis.

"I should have some years left in me - hopefully the best years."

"There's a lot of things I want to accomplish," said Olesen, who was ranked 62nd in the world at the time of the incident but is currently 376th.

"You have to stay in the present, obviously, but it's been a while since I've been in the winner's circle and that's my main goal this year. I've not been working hard enough for a few years to be at that level, so I know there is a lot of work to be done.