Kathryn Imrie says she is playing for fun this season, and she enjoyed an opening 73 that put her in a tie for 15th after the first round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies' Scottish Open at the Carrick, Loch Lomond.

Gwladys Nocera, the French Solheim Cup player, birdied the last three holes for a two under par 69, and she shared a one shot lead with Maria Boden, a 30-year-old Swede seeking her first win on Tour.

Clare Queen, who represents the Carrick on Tour, was the best of the Scots in joint tenth place on 72, while Imrie was just a shot back in a tie for 15th.

Imrie was the first of the three Scots - North Berwick's Catriona Matthew and Glasgow's Janice Moodie are the others - to win on the LPGA Tour in America. Her victory came back in the 1995 Jamie Farr Classic.

The 40-year-old is now in the twilight of her playing career and she would love to get as a TV commentator - she has already worked for Sky and the US-based Golf Channel - and she also has a winter coaching job in California.

"If I got offered a full-time commentating job, then I'd jump at it," she said. "But it's so hard to get into.

"I'm still loving my golf, but the standard is so good these days and I'm just not long enough from the tee to keep up with the new young players."

Based in Palm Springs in California, she intends playing in a run of tournaments in Europe. "This year, I'm just trying to have a lot of fun. It would be great if I could get into contention this week and I'd be very pleased with a top ten."

Queen was two under par after six holes, but dropped four shots before bouncing back with two late birdies.

"It was disappointing to have the bad run in the middle," said the 24-year-old, who started from the tenth and scarred the card with a double-bogey at the first. "But it was good to fight back."

Turnberry's Mhairi McKay, who has returned from America to compete this week, birdied her second last hole to stay within sight of the lead on 74.