Jun keeps her cool to take three-shot lead in East Lothian

FOR someone who is used to wearing flip-flops and shorts in her native Southern California at this time of the year, Hannah Jun coped pretty well with the parky and damp conditions on the East Lothian coast for the opening round of the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open.

On a day when the temperature was around 20 degrees below the average 75 she's used to back home, the 24-year-old, who first played in the home of golf in this event 12 months ago, carved out a flawless six-under-par 66 on the Fidra Course to establish an early three-shot lead over South African Ashleigh Simon and England's Rebecca Hudson in the race for a 29,000 first prize.

Host club member Catriona Matthew, who birdied three of her last five holes, is handily placed after an opening 70, one ahead of fellow Scot Clare Queen, who recovered well after opening with two bogeys.

But the day belonged to Jun as the history graduate at UCLA, where she was also a cheerleader, signed for her lowest score since joining the Ladies European Tour at the beginning of last year.

"I love this course - the layout is beautiful and it suits my eye," said Jun, who tied for 14th in the event a year ago but, lying 50th on the money-list this season after only managing a couple of top-20 finishes in ten tournaments, decided to head home recently to "try and get my game back".

Working with her coach, Craig Chapman, back in Los Angeles, Jun made all sorts of changes to her putting and it paid dividends straight away as she rolled in six birdie putts - two from relatively close range at the third and the fifth and the others from between 10-15 feet at the sixth, 12th, 13th and 15th.

After graduating in 2007, Jun earned a conditional card for the LPGA Tour and played in around 15 events in her rookie season. However, due to a big reduction in the number of events on that schedule, she decided to broaden her horizons and headed over to Europe.

"I want to play - I don't care if it is in Scotland, Portland, Oregon or Mobile, Alabama," added Jun, who was encouraged to test herself outside of America by Pat Hurst, the five-time Solheim Cup player. "Pat and I play out of the same club and she told me that if she had a chance to do things all over again she would play as much as possible overseas.

"If you want to be one of the best in the world, you have to play outside of the US. To some Americans that prospect is a lot to handle because everything is available to them at home. However, I did a lot of travelling with my parents on holidays so it is not as terrifying for me."

One of those family trips was to Edinburgh, now "one of my favourite cities in the world". Jun also loves Scottish history. "Everything is so old here - unlike the US, where there are probably five main events and that's it," she noted.

On a day when Simon and Hudson both undid some of their good earlier work by dropping shots at the par-3 17th, rounds in an event using pro-am format had crept close to the six-hour mark for the later starters..

Matthew, who was out in the first group with Mhairi McKay, covered the front nine in two hours and 15 minutes but then caught up with a match that had started at the tenth.

"That's part of the pro-am deal," admitted Lynn Kenny, another player enjoying some home comfort this week on the D J Russell-designed course but who is nine off the pace after an opening 75. "We know that before we start. You've just got to deal with it and keep smiling sweetly."

Carly Booth, who had family friend Barry Hume, the 2001 Scottish Amateur champion, caddying for her and is just outside the top 10 after an encouraging 72, added: "I felt I was out there all day.

"It was difficult as I like to play quickly. But that's the way it is - you just have to get on with it."