Men named Storm, Blizard and Flood were in the field for this Open and such
meteorological terms were not inappropriate on a day when one feared for
those in peril on a tee.
Yesterday, Rohan Blizard, an amateur from Australia, had a 78, two strokes
more than Graeme Storm, and Ronan Flood caddied for Padraig Harrington and
helped the champion to a resolute, gritted-teeth 74 that was probably a
little under the real par at the time the Irishman was playing.
The weather between 6am and 11am was as bad as the first day of any Open I can
remember. Simon Dyson reeled in, shaking his head and resembling a man who
has been involved in a car crash. “I haven't had a drink for six weeks, but
I'll have one now,” the Englishman said with a grin after running up a six
on the par-four 9th and a nine on the par-four 10th en route to an 82.
It was so bad, in fact, that Sandy Lyle, the 1985 Open champion, and Rich
Beem, the 2002 US PGA champion, retired mid-round, having taken an aggregate
95 strokes for the 19 holes they played. So difficult were the first 210
minutes that the 48 competitors on the course had managed only 12 birdies
between them.
Beem's withdrawal is one thing, Lyle's quite another. It was hard to describe
the Scot's behaviour as anything other than bad manners. It was ill-advised
and disrespectful to the organisers.
Lyle said that he was not injured and that he walked in because he did not
want to damage his swing on the eve of the Senior British Open at Royal
Troon next week, but that is hardly a stellar demonstration of a dogged
fight against the odds.
Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St
Andrews, was a busy man yesterday because he had to field trenchant
criticism from Jerry Kelly, who went round in 83, 13 over par, and then
savaged the course set-up. “I couldn't get to four fairways,” the American
said. “They played every single tee back. This is the worst set-up I have
seen.”
What was happening yesterday was not only the result of bad weather, because
the players could have handled that. It was more potent than that: the
combined effect of bad weather, meaning cold air, which in turn limited the
the flight and distance of a golf ball, and a demanding course that
contained thick and clingy rough nourished by recent rain. Furthermore, the
course was buffeted by gusts of wind up to 30mph, which meant that 230-yard
carries to reach the fairway on the 11th, for example, were beyond the reach
of some.
It not only made the 7,173-yard course difficult to play, it made for slow
play at times. Justin Rose, Tom Watson and Aaron Baddeley were put on the
clock midway through their round and speeded up. And guess what? Watson told
both his young playing partners: “You played better when you played faster.”
Perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt there.
On the eve of the tournament some players feared that the back of most tees
would be used in the first round - and so it proved. “You walked through
dunes to tees and hoped to see the markers 15 or 20 yards ahead of where
they were,” Rose said.
“I think the 11th fairway was pretty much reachable by pretty much all of the
players,” Dawson said, admitting that the problems centred on the 6th, which
he said was a par-five and not a par-four in yesterday's conditions, and the
11th, where the R&A could have done with a more forward tee. “I talked
to a lot of players and 16 was not regarded by any of them as nearly as
tough as the 11th,” Dawson said.
How bad was it? “It reminded me of the first round of the 1980 Open at
Muirfield,” Watson recalled. “Lee Trevino and I went round in 68 and we
lapped the field.”
It was as bad as the tempest that hit Muirfield during the 1987 Open when
Lyle, the man who gave up yesterday, played a blinding round of 71, two
strokes better than anyone while using nothing longer than a one-iron. It
was not unlike when Tiger Woods ran up an 81 in the third round of the 2002
Open, also at Muirfield.
But it was not as bad as Sandwich in 1938, when tents were blown into the
Channel (some ending up on beaches in France) and items from the exhibition
tent were strewn down the fairways. It was not so bad as at Birkdale in
1961, when the second day's play was lost because of high winds that
devastated the tents and, far worse, flattened the refreshment marquee.
It is important to realise that the day was divided into two halves by the
weather if not the clock. The damage was wrought on those who started before
11.52. Of the first 81 competitors to finish, three major champions - Ernie
Els, Vijay Singh and John Daly - had rounds of 80, ten over par, while
another, Phil Mickelson, went round in 79. The highest score of those 81 was
Scott Strange's 84, and not one of them broke or equalled par. In fact, the
lowest scores by these men were the rounds of 71 by Mike Weir and Retief
Goosen and the 72s by K. J. Choi and Ian Poulter.
When the tide turned in the nearby Irish Sea, so the wind dropped and the rain
abated, as it so often does by the sea. As a result, the scores began to
tumble. All three 69s, the day's leading scores, were by men who started
after midday, Rocco Mediate at 12.14, Graeme McDowell at 12.36 and Robert
Allenby at 1.09.
We should not diminish the remarkable performance of Greg Norman at 53 and out
of practice. He was one of only six men who did not exceed par. Married life
suits him. It is significant to note that at a venue where Australians have
won three Opens, three of those six are from Down Under.
First-round scores
Great Britain and Ireland unless stated
* denotes amateur
69: R Allenby (Aus), G McDowell, R Mediate (US).
70: Bart Bryant (US), A Scott (Aus), G Norman (Aus).
71: R Goosen (SA), S Wakefield, P Hanson (Swe), A Wall, J Furyk (US), F
Jacobson (Swe), M Weir (Can), G Havret (Fr).
72: R Fisher, J Overton (US), Lam Chih Bing (Sing), K Stadler (US), A
Kim (US), A Noren (Swe), S García (Sp), K. J. Choi (S Kor), M Á Jiménez
(Sp), I Poulter, B Snedeker (US), S Appleby (Aus).
73: Z Johnson (US), P Waring, C Montgomerie, D Duval (US), H Slocum
(US), H Iwata (Japan), J-F Lima (Por), J Rollins (US), J Van de Velde (Fr),
J Williamson (US), S Ames (Can).
74: A Yano (Japan), T Watson (US), T Lehman (US), T Hamilton (US), B
Jones (Aus), N O'Hern (Aus), T Immelman (SA), J Rose, M O'Meara (US), P
Appleyard, G Bourdy (Fr), T Gillis (US), P Harrington, D Horsey.
75: S Hansen (Den), M Kaymer (Ger), D Frost (SA), P Larrazábal (Sp), R
Karlsson (Swe), S O'Hair (US), M Wiegele (Austria), J-B Gonnet (Fr), * C
Wood, S McCarron (US), M Campbell (NZ), Y Tsukada (Japan), P Baker, D Love
III (US), N Dougherty, S Cink (US), A Baddeley (Aus), R Finch, P Archer, J
Lomas, L Westwood, T Aiken (SA).
76: D Smail (NZ), W Austin (US), P Edberg (Swe), C Howell III (US), G
Storm, D Chia (Malaysia), H Stenson (Swe), D Howell, B Hume, H Tanihara
(Japan), A Cejka (Ger), M Calcavecchia (US), E Porter (Aus), R Green (Aus),
A Que (Phil), C Villegas (Col), T Clark (SA).
77: J Kingston (SA), A Romero (Arg), O Wilson, G Ogilvy (Aus), G Boyd,
J Leonard (US), P Marksaeng (Thai), P Walton, R Imada (Japan), Lian Wenchong
(China), C Parry (Aus), S Stricker (US), R Pampling (Aus), Á Cabrera (Arg),
S Khan, * T Sherreard, P Goydos (US), Paul Lawrie, S Verplank (US).
78: A Tampion (Aus), M Letzig (US), A Hansen (Den), L Glover (US), B
Curtis (US), J Edfors (Swe), * R Blizard (Aus), J Bevan, P Casey, J Elson, A
Cañete (Arg), D Labelle II (US), R Sterne (SA).
79: R Sabbatini (SA), H Otto (SA), S Webster, D McGrane, J Quinney
(US), J Cunliffe (SA), D McGuigan, M Kuchar (US), P Mickelson (US), J. B.
Holmes (US), N Fasth (Swe), C Barlow (US), * B Hébert (Fr).
80: J Daly (US), H Mahan (US), V Singh (Fiji), E Els (SA), B Weekley
(US), * R Saxton (Neth), S Kai (Japan).
81: S Kjeldsen (Den), A Blyth (Aus).
82: M Matsumura (Japan), P Perez (US), T Petrovic (US), D Fichardt
(SA), P Fowler (Aus), S Dyson.
83: J Kelly (US).
84: S Strange (Aus).
85: J Howarth, B Lamb (Aus).
Withdrew: A Lyle, T Taniguchi (Japan), R Beem (US).
Today's tee-times
All starting at 1st hole
6.30am: J Van de Velde (Fr), S Webster, A Tampion (Aus).
6.41: P Walton, D Smail (NZ), M Letzig (US).
6.52: P Waring, H Otto (SA), K Stadler (US).
7.03: Paul Lawrie, R Mediate (US), Á Cabrera (Arg).
7.14: N Fasth (Swe), M O'Meara (US), M Campbell (NZ).
7.25: G McDowell, R Sabbatini (SA), T Hamilton (US).
7.36: J Furyk (US), N Dougherty, C Villegas (Col).
7.47: R Karlsson (Swe), G Norman (Aus), W Austin (US).
7.58: R Allenby (Aus), S Stricker (US), * B Hébert (Fr).
8.09: A Scott (Aus), Z Johnson (US), P Larrazábal (Sp).
8.20: G Havret (Fr), T Clark (SA), S Cink (US).
8.31: Liang Wenchong (China), F Jacobson (Swe), J Overton (US).
8.42: S Hansen (Den), T Immelman (SA), A Kim (US).
8.58: M Á Jiménez (Sp), S Ames (Can), C Howell III (US).
9.09: P Hanson (Swe), Bart Bryant (US), R Pampling (Aus).
9.20: S García (Sp), R Imada (Japan), S O'Hair (US).
9.31: B Snedeker (US), S Appleby (Aus), R Fisher.
9.42: A Yano (Japan), J Edfors (Swe), T Lehman (US).
9.53: J Williamson (US), S Wakefield, J Kingston (SA).
10.04: D Chia (Malaysia), G Bourdy (Fr), J Rollins (US).
10.15: * C Wood, P Marksaeng (Thai), S McCarron (US).
10.26: A Noren (Swe), A Wall, E Porter (Aus).
10.37: H Iwata (Japan), P Baker, A Cejka (Ger).
10.48: D Labelle (US), Lam Chih Bing (Sing), J-F Lima (Por).
10.59: M Wiegele (Austria), A Que (Phil), D McGuigan.
11.10: Y Tsukada (Japan), J Lomas, P Appleyard.
11.41: L Glover (US), C Parry (Aus), S Dyson.
11.52: J-B Gonnet (Fr), P Perez (US), P Fowler (Aus).
12.03: S Kjeldsen (Den), B Jones (Aus), M Kuchar (US).
12.14: J Kelly (US), D Fichardt (SA), D McGrane.
12.25: G Storm, S Strange (Aus).
12.36: R Green (Aus), M Calcavecchia (US), A Hansen (Den).
12.47: T Watson (US), J Rose, A Baddeley (Aus).
12.58: G Ogilvy (Aus), O Wilson, D Love III (US).
1.09: R Goosen (SA), P Harrington, J Leonard (US).
1.20: R Sterne (SA), H Stenson (Swe), J Quinney (US).
1.31: H Mahan (US), V Singh (Fiji), * R Saxton (Neth).
1.42: M Kaymer (Ger), S Verplank (US), E Els (SA).
1.53: D Howell, J. B. Holmes (US), A Romero (Arg).
2.09: L Westwood, K. J. Choi (S Kor), B Curtis (US).
2.20: N O'Hern (Aus), I Poulter, P Goydos (US).
2.31: H Tanihara (Japan), P Mickelson (US), P Casey.
2.42: C Montgomerie, B Weekley (US), M Weir (Can).
2.53: R Finch, J Daly (US).
3.04: S Khan, D Duval (US), D Frost (SA).
3.15: P Edberg (Swe), * T Sherreard.
3.26: T Gillis (US), M Matsumura (Japan), B Hume.
3.37: T Petrovic (US), S Kai (Japan), D Horsey.
3.48: C Barlow (US), A Cañete (Arg), P Archer.
3.59: J Elson, * R Blizard (Aus), J Bevan.
4.10: A Blyth (Aus), J Howarth, J Cunliffe (SA).
4.21: G Boyd, T Aiken (SA), B Lamb (Aus).
world's most boring game.
Takes up lots of land...has Donald Trump been defeated over N. Scotland site?
Weather terrible.
Takes days to play.
Rich belong to clubs. Pay heavily - I hope - to play.
Still boring.
Bullied off our land?
put 'em in the wind. Wind them up...
Agree with Suresh.
carlyle, columbus, india
hi sir ,
the time is hard if the current interest Rates in not going to by below 4% Libore than many many more (30%) small business peple will be finish poor,
more then the 40 % house hold will loose there houses ,due to high iterest rates any govt doing nothing .
empty property rates problem
suresh pandya , hounslow, middx