[情報] Lesser lights shine on first day at the Open
Lesser lights shine on first day at the Open
By Erskine McCullough
MUIRFIELD, Scotland, (AFP) - The leaderboard after the first round of the
Open championship reads more like a 'who's that?' rather than a 'who's who'
of world golf. Missing from the list were the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie
Els and Sergio Garcia - instead it was filled by Duffy Waldorf, Carl
Pettersson, Sandy Lyle and Des Smyth.
Only world number six David Toms was able to live up to his pre-tournament
billing and exploit a Muirfield that could not have been easier. There was
no wind, the sun was out and the fairways and greens were holding.
Toms' four under 67 gave him a share of the lead with Waldorf and little
known Swede Pettersson, playing in his first Major.
The 35-year-old Toms, who has shot up through the rankings following his
win in the USPGA last year, played near flawless golf as he carded five
birdies. Only a single bogey marred his card.
"I took advantage of a perfect day in Scotland," said the American. "When
I had a chance to get a ball close I took it and I capitalized. The big
thing I did today was I putted well."
The same could not be said for Woods in his quest for the Grand Slam. The
26-year-old could only manage a one-under 70.
But if his putter had been hot, he could easily have been four to five
shots better.
"It was frustrating," said Woods. "I was hitting beautiful putts and they
were lipping out. I had six or seven lip-outs for birdie.
"Overall I am very pleased by the way I played today. It was very crisp,
very clean."
Woods' putting woes were not lost on Toms.
"I saw him on television and he didn't make a putt all day. He still shot
under par so he still played well. He'll be there in the end. He probably
thinks that in the conditions today that is as bad as he will play," said
Toms.
Waldorf, who only qualified for the Open two weeks ago, said he did not care
where he finished in the championship
"I just go out and enjoy playing. I'm just excited to play here. I don't care
if I finish 15th or 83rd," smiled the 39-year-old from California.
The 24-year-old Pettersson could have had the lead to himself but a bogey on
the final hole when he pulled his tee shot left into the rough saw him slip
back into a three-way tie.
"It feels great to be tied for the lead but it is just the first day. We have
three more to go and I am looking forward to them," said Pettersson
World number two Phil Mickelson birdied the last two holes to get himself on
the leaderbaord, tied with a handful of players all at three-under - one
shot off the lead.
But it was not an impressive performance from Mickelson who came into the
championship with a whole range of new shots in his armoury specially for
links golf.
"I was very fortunate to shoot three-under. I didn't drive it particularly
well. I missed a lot of fairways," he admitted.
Veteran Nick Price, who finished fifth in the US Open a month ago, put
himself firmly in contention with his three-under 68.
The 45-year-old looked to be heading for a weekend off after his outward
nine as he sprayed the ball all over the place but the 1994 Open winner
regrouped on the road home, hitting three birdies.
England wonder kid Justin Rose refused to let all the hoopla surrounding his
pairing with Woods affect him.
The 21-year-old went to four-under par at the turn and only a bogey on the
par-four 10th marred his scorecard.
"Obviously I got off to a really good start - par, birdie, birdie. I saw my
name on the leaderboard straight away which was a nice start and capped off
the front with an eagle on the ninth which suddenly shot me to the top of
the leaderboard," enthused Rose, a four-time winner this season.
But Rose knows that beating Woods on the opening day means little.
"I don't think outscoring Tiger today means anything for the rest of the
tournament. Day one and day two is jostling for position, getting your
name in the leaderboard come the weekend," he said.
Garcia nearly played himself out of the tournament with a nightmare start
that saw him rush to three-over.
"On the front nine I had a couple of really bad shots and paid the price big
time," said the 22-year-old who managed to finish with a level par 71.
"I kept going and hit the ball much better on the back nine and made some
good birdie chances and some good putts. What you don't want to do in a
Major is put yourself out of it early on," he added.
Els, who admitted his game had gone off for the past several weeks managed
to get it together on the way home after going out in one-over. The South
African finished the day one-under and firmly in contention.
It was a perfect day for two of Europe's veterans - Lyle and Smyth
Smyth, only nine months away from joining the seniors tour, and Lyle both
came in with early 68s which brought back memories of their glory days.
"The conditions were ideal. No breeze, the ball holding. It was as good as
Muirfield could ever get," said the 49-year-old Smyth, who very nearly
failed to make the start.
The Irishman strained a leg muscle on Monday afternoon and has been taking
anti-inflammatory pain killing tablets.
But there was little sick-looking about his round. Only a bogey at the tough
opening hole blotted his scorecard.
It was an equally impressive round from the 44-year-old Lyle, coming back
from a disastrous start to the year.
It was like the Lyle of old.
"That really boosted my confidence," he said. "It has got the juices flowing
again."
Published: July 19, 2002
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