opening round of the World One Armed Championship at the historic links of Scotland's Carnouistie Golf Club.

With strong cross winds severely hampering play, Talbot struggled to a 92 on the par 70 Championship section of the course.

Talbot went without a birdie the entire round -- he had three pars, 11 bogeys, five double bogeys and one triple bogeys -- and found difficulty dealing with the accompanying cold that made for extremely hard fairways.

However, the former two-time winner remained confident of his chances with another round yet to go, especially with the prospect of competing on the much easier Burnside section.

"I didn't hit the ball that well into the fairways, maybe because it was so windy and cold,'' said Talbot. "(But) I don't think that qualifying will be much of a problem because a lot of those ahead of me played the easier course today.'' The best score on the Championship side was an 88 by 18-year-old Nick Chantness of England, with defending champion Mike Benning next at 91 and then Talbot. By comparison the Channel Islands' Dave Parson's carded an 82 at Burnside.

Today will decide the 16 qualifiers to enter the match play round.

Talbot has previously won at England's Thorpe Hall in Essex in 1988 and at Ireland's Sligo Country Club in 1991.