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Johnson Leads Open as Muirfield Mauls Big Names
Woods 'Very Pleased' with Open Start
'Brain-dead' McIlroy Makes Nightmare Start to Open
Injured Oosthuizen out of Open
Kiradech Upbeat after Open Debut
Choi Struggles with Sore Back at Open
Johnson Leads Open as Muirfield Mauls Big Names
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Zach Johnson used a red-hot putter to lead the British Open at scorching Muirfield Thursday on a pulsating opening day when some of the biggest names in the game were left reeling.
The 2007 Masters champion fired an eagle at the par-five fifth and used that as the springboard toward a five under 66 that held firm throughout the day.
Indian qualifier Shiv Kapur briefly threatened to dislodge him from atop the leaderboard as he went six under after just seven holes.
But he dropped shots down the back nine and had to settle for a 68, level with Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Americans Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Tom Lehman, the Open champion from 1996.
Closest to Johnson at the end of a day when 20 players out of the 156-strong field broke par, were 56-year-old Mark O'Meara, the Open champion from 1998, and rising Spanish player Rafael Cabrera-Bello, both of whom had 67s.
Tournament favourite Tiger Woods, playing competitively for the first time in a month after injuring his left elbow while hacking out of rough at the US Open, stuck to the task and came away with a fine 69, which will do wonders for his confidence.
The opening day of the 142nd Open, however, will be remembered also for being a nightmare for two of the biggest names in the game -- former world number ones Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald.
Both failed abysmally to deal with the exceptional conditions at Muirfield, where two weeks of pure Scottish sunshine had left the famed links course running fast and furious.
More blue skies and temperatures passing 80 degrees Fahreinheit (26 Celsius) on Thursday made the greens treacherous and at times Augusta National fast, especially around the pins, drawing criticism from several players.
World number two McIlroy, desperately seeking the form that has eluded him since he changed clubs at the start of the year, had two double bogeys down the back nine en route to a demoralising eight over 79.
The lowest point of his round came at the 15th where he shook his head in disbelief after watching his long putt speed over the rock-hard green and bury itself in a deep pot bunker.
A second double-bogey was the end result of that and he looked a disconsolate figure trudging off the 18th green with the question mark over his current form beginning to take on giant proportions.
Donald had a double bogey at 12 and a triple bogey two holes later and his score of 80 likely means that his hopes of finally winning a first major title are likely to once again be doomed.
Johnson, whose wedge play was key to his win in the 2007 Masters, this time looked to his putting to secure him the day's best round of 66.
"It was a very solid day. I felt great," said Johnson who lost out in a play-off won by 19-year-old American Jordan Spieth in the John Deere Classic on Sunday.
"Certainly coming into the week I felt great on the tee shots today. I felt pretty comfortable on my approach shots. I had some good numbers to hit some shots close, because that is part of it here, as firm as it is.
"Anytime you shoot under par in an Open or a major, for that matter, you have to be putting at least somewhat decent, and I putted great."
Woods, who was matched on 69 by a group of players including old rival Phil Mickelson, said that any score at even par or better would have been acceptable to him.
"It was more of a grind than one of those Pro Am, happy-go-lucky, you know, talking to your playing partner all day. There wasn't a lot of talking out there today because we're trying to grind it out on that golf course, and it's one of those courses where it just got so difficult," he said
Defending champion Ernie Els had a 74 and US Open champion Justin Rose a 75, while Australia's Masters champion Adam Scott was happy to settle for a level par 71.
Nick Faldo's return to Muirfield, where he won the Open twice, failed to find a spark as he struggled to a 78, while "golden oldie" playing partners, Tom Watson and Freddie Couples also found it tough going with a pair of 75s.
Three players withdrew with injuries - 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, and Swedish pair Peter Hanson and Alexander Noren.
Woods 'Very Pleased' with Open Start
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - World number one Tiger Woods said Thursday he was very happy with a two under 69 in the first round of the British Open, especially given the lightning quick greens at sun-baked Muirfield.
"It was tough. The golf course progressively got more dried out and more difficult as we played. And I'm very pleased to shoot anything even par or better," he told journalists after finishing tied for ninth and three behind overnight leader Zach Johnson.
Woods was forced to really grind out his round as the greens grew more and more perilous in the afternoon sun.
"Well, the golf course just kept drying out. And it was so hard to get the ball close, even lag putt and try to get the ball the right speed. It was very difficult," he said.
Woods expressed some sympathy with players like England's Ian Poulter and American Phil Mickelson who were quite disparaging about the difficulty of holding the balls on the greens.
"Well, I could see how guys were complaining about it," he said. "Some of these putts today, I mean, I putted the ball off the green today. And it really wasn't that bad a putt. Anything that goes four feet by, it's gone. It was tough."
Asked if it was unfair as some fellow competitors had suggested, he replied: "You could see how guys could feel that way. It got so fast and so dry that, as I said, it was hard to get the ball close and even lag-putt the ball at the right speed."
It was a gritty performance by Woods who dug deep to save par or escape with just a bogey on a number of holes.
"There wasn't a lot of talking out there today because we're trying to grind it out on that golf course, and it's one of those courses where it just got so difficult," he said.
Woods said it would be interesting to see if the organisers, the R&A, put some water on the greens before Friday. Teeing off in the morning he could have the better of the conditions if they do.
Woods didn't seem bothered by the elbow injury that hurt his chances at last month's US Open at Merion and reckoned he had made the right decision to rest it in the lead-up to the Open.
"Elbow held up great. That's one of the reasons I took the break to make sure that was good. I knew the ground was going to be hard over here. There's potential for having some long rough. And that little time off helped," he said.
'Brain-dead' McIlroy Makes Nightmare Start to Open
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Rory McIlroy was despairing over the state of his golf game after Thursday's opening round in the British Open saying he felt at times "unconscious" and "brain-dead" on the course.
The strong comments from the Northern Irishman followed a horror start to the British Open as he collapsed to an eight-over 79, already 13 shots off the early lead held by American Zach Johnson.
McIlroy's flop at Muirfield was just the latest in a season corrupted by a change of golfing equipment he made at the start of the year when he was ranked world number one.
"I don't know what you can do. You've just got to try and play your way out of it. But it's nothing to do with technique. It's all mental out there," McIlroy said.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm walking around out there and I'm unconscious. I just need to try to think more. I'm trying to focus and trying to concentrate.
"But I can't really fathom it at the minute, and it's hard to stand up here and tell you guys (press) what's really wrong
"It's just so brain dead. Seriously, I feel like I've been walking around out there like that for the last couple of months. I'm trying to get out of it. I just don't quite know why."
While others tore up the front nine early morning on a fast but fair Muirfield course, McIlroy struggled to the turn in one over before two consecutive bogeys followed by a double bogey on the 379-yard, par-4 12th.
It was the worst possible start for a player looking to silence those who think he is somehow distracted and not fully focused on his golf.
A birdie at the par-three 13th gave some relief, but it was short-lived as the 24-year-old Ulsterman was left shaking his head in disbelief as his long putt at the 15th raced over the rock-hard green and buried itself in a bunker.
A second double-bogey was the end result of that and he looked a disconsolate figure trudging off the 18th green with the question mark around his current form beginning to take on giant proportions.
McIlroy had earlier in the week hit back at his critics, insisting his game was "heading in the right direction" on the eve of the Open and asking "what's the big deal?" about his recent slump.
The Ulsterman has failed to win a tournament all year after changing his management company and deciding to switch equipment providers, from Titleist to Nike.
Some pundits have suggested his high-profile relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki may also be contributing to his decline.
McIlroy, hoever, said that a lack of focus was not the problem.
"No, not at all, no, no. It's not that at all. No, I'm fully focused on the golf out there," he said.
"But it's been fully focused on each and every shot and what you really want to do with it and visualization and everything. It's just something I've never experienced before."
McIlroy, whose 79 matched the score of 56-year-old Nick Faldo, now faces an uphill struggle just to make it through to the weekend and he vowed to try and loosen up his game in a bid to throw off the shackles.
"I want to try to be here for the weekend. But the thing that I need to do tomorrow is just go out there and freewheel it and try and make birdies and try and play with that little bit of whatever it is I have usually," he said.
Injured Oosthuizen out of Open
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Former champion Louis Oosthuizen was forced to withdraw from this year's British Open Championship on Thursday after playing his tee shot at the par five, ninth hole.
The South African shook hands with playing partners Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell before heading straight to the close-by rented house where he has been residing this week to have treatment on his injured neck.
"I'm bitterly disappointed to have to pull out of The Open and it looks likely now I am going to have to take some time off and give my neck the rest I've been told they need," he said
"I thought I would be okay today as I warmed up pretty well on the range hitting balls.
"But then as the round progressed the pain in my neck translated into my hips and just found increasingly uncomfortable to walk.
"The Open means so much to me and to have to withdraw in this manner is extremely disappointing on top of also having to pull out of Merion."
The 2010 Open champion at St Andrews was four over when he called it quits.
It was the second straight major that Oosthuizen has failed to finish having withdrawn before the second round of the US Open at Merion Golf Club last month with a strained hip flexor.
Thongchai Bunkered at Open
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Thongchai Jaidee rued two bad breaks when he posted a disappointing eight-over-par 79 in the opening round of the British Open on Thursday.
The Thai was even-par after eight holes, but the round turned for the worst when his ball was plugged in the bunkers on holes nine and 13 at the challenging Muirfield course. He walked away with triple bogeys on each of those holes.
"I made a lot of good shots but I had only two bad holes. I had no shot out of the bunker and I had to go sideways on both occasions. I started out quite nicely but made six-over on two holes," said a dejected Thongchai.
The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, who is playing in The Open for the fifth consecutive year, is bracing himself for a testing second round.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow. If it weren't for those two bunkers, I might have probably shot two-over," he said.
"Sometimes you need luck on this golf course. The positives that I can take out from today is that I'm hitting the ball well," said Thongchai.
Thaworn Wiratchant, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, also shot a 79 after struggling with wayward tee shots. He returned with one birdie against five bogeys and two double bogeys.
"There's nothing good to talk about my round. I hit such bad tee shots and I couldn't recover. I was hitting it badly with my driver during the practice round but I could not find for a solution. It is very disappointing," said the 46-year-old Thaworn.
Kiradech Upbeat after Open Debut
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Thai rising star Kiradech Aphibarnrat battled to a one-over-par 72 after struggling with poor iron-play in the opening round of the British Open on Thursday.
The current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, who is playing in his first ever major tournament, bogeyed the second hole but swiftly recovered with birdies on four and five at the challenging Muirfield course.
He moved up the leader board with a key 15-foot birdie putt on 10 but slipped back with 'silly mistakes' on 11, 15 and 16, which resulted in bogeys.
"I was in good form but I had a couple of mistakes. You cannot miss your shots on this course. If that happens, then you need to make up-and-downs for par. This result is still good for me," said Kiradech.
"I made a couple of easy mistakes so that was a bit disappointing. I just wasn't hitting my irons good enough but my driver and putting raised my game," added the Thai, who qualified for The Open after winning the Asia International Final Qualifying tournament on home soil in February.
The two-time Asian Tour winner conceded that he should have made full use of the relatively calm and breezy conditions in the morning.
"The conditions were quite easy because there weren't much wind. I'm lucky to play early in the morning. That's why I'm quite disappointed I didn't take advantage of the weather," lamented Kiradech.
He remains upbeat that he can still make the weekend rounds if he stays focussed.
"Yes, I have a good chance to play on the weekend. I have to focus on my game plan because you need to really concentrate when you are playing on this golf course. You cannot lose focus because when you do, then the course will punish you," he said.
Choi Struggles with Sore Back at Open
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - K.J. Choi of South Korea struggled with lack of sleep and a sore back when he shot a five-over-par 76 in the first round of the British Open on Thursday.
Choi felt a strain in his back three weeks ago and has not fully recovered even after undergoing acupuncture a day before his tee-off at Muirfield.
"I gave my best try but I've been struggling with tension in my back muscle. My doctor gave me acupuncture and that helped a bit. I felt a bit more relaxed but it isn't enough time for me to recover," said Choi.
"I felt a bit of pain when I was putting and I wasn't patient. I need a lot of rest.
"I'll practice for a while and then I'll go back to rest. When it is cold, I feel a bit of pain on my back swing so that stops me from making a fast downswing," he added.
He also struggled from jetlag after travelling from the United States to make his 12th appearance at The Open, where he mixed his scorecard with three birdies against six bogeys and one double bogey.
"My swing and technique were not too bad so I'm surprised with the score! I will try my best again tomorrow," said Choi, who played on the Asian Tour in his early career before going on to win eight titles on the US PGA Tour.
Shiv Kapur Shines at Open
GULLANE, July 18, 2013 (AFP) - Shiv Kapur of India eclipsed some of golf's biggest stars when he shot a three-under-par 68 for tied fourth in the opening round of the British Open on Thursday.
Kapur was the surprise package on day one when he birdied six of his opening seven holes to turn in 30 and briefly hold a one-shot lead at the demanding Muirfield course.
He birdied the immensely challenging first hole followed by birdies on two and three. He then continued his electrifying momentum by marking three straight birdies from the fifth hole.
Kapur still held his head high despite three-putting for double bogey on 10 and dropped another shot on 14 when his tee shot found the thick rough.
The Indian, who has won once on the Asian Tour, trails first day leader Zach Johnson of the United States by two shots but outgunned world number one Tiger Woods (69) and Major champions Phil Mickelson (69), Bubba Watson (70), Adam Scott (71) and Rory McIlroy (79).
"I was in dreamland for a while when I birdied my first three holes. These are probably the fastest greens I've played in my life. It felt like I was putting on glass," said Kapur, who qualified for the tournament at the Local Final Qualifying in Dunbar, two weeks ago.
"The front nine was a bit special. I was in a bit of a trance there. I wasn't aware of my score. I tried to make every birdie putt that comes my way because I know how tough this golf course can be.
"Nobody is expecting me to be up there and it is a funny name in the middle of proven major winners but it is nice to be up there.
"At least I can hold my head high and say that I led at one point at The Open Championship. That's something I can take a lot of pride in," he added.
The 31-year-old took advantage of his late tee time to watch the early coverage of the tournament to get an idea of how to negotiate his way around the course.
"I watched a bit of the coverage this morning and I saw the balls bouncing. So in some aspect it is good to watch and know. You can learn a bit with a late start.
"I've got nothing to lose. I'm going to go out there to fulfil my own expectations and my own goals. You go out there to play quietly. In fact, my playing partner told me that he was expecting a quiet afternoon until the cameras started following us!"
Collated first round scores in the 142nd British Open played at par-71 Muirfield on Thursday:-
66 Zach Johnson (USA)
67 Mark O'Meara (USA), Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP)
68 Dustin Johnson (USA), Shiv Kapur (IND), Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP), Tom Lehman (USA), Brandt Snedeker (USA)
69 Francesco Molinari (ITA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Tiger Woods (USA), Angel Cabrera (ARG), Todd Hamilton (USA), Jordan Spieth (USA)
70 Martin Laird (SCO), Ken Duke (USA), Bubba Watson (USA), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP), Henrik Stenson (SWE), Oliver Fisher (ENG)
71 Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Thomas Aiken (RSA), Adam Scott (AUS), Gareth Wright (WAL), Jimmy Mullen (ENG), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
72 Mikko Ilonen (FIN), Martin Kaymer (GER), Marc Warren (SCO), Jimmy Walker (USA), Lee Westwood (ENG), Jason Dufner (USA), Stewart Cink (USA), Darren Clarke (NIR), Steven Tiley (ENG), Jonas Blixt (SWE), Hunter Mahan (USA), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Michael Thompson (USA), Mark Calcavecchia (USA), Ian Poulter (ENG), Camilo Villegas (COL), Tim Clark (RSA), Fredrik Jacobson (SWE), Ryan Moore (USA), Josh Teater (USA)
73 K.T. Kim (KOR), Richard McEvoy (ENG), Grant Forrest (SCO), Webb Simpson (USA), Jason Day (AUS), Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Eduardo De La Riva (ESP), Johnson Wagner (USA), Padraig Harrington (IRL), Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Shingo Katayama (JPN), Marcus Fraser (AUS)
74 Bud Cauley (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Ben Curtis (USA), Justin Leonard (USA), Shane Lowry (IRL), Ernie Els (RSA), Boo Weekley (USA), Billy Horschel (USA), Scott Piercy (USA), Matt Kuchar (USA), Peter Senior (AUS), Kevin Streelman (USA), Oscar Floren (SWE), Harris English (USA), Jamie Donaldson (WAL), John Wade (AUS), John Huh (USA), Carl Pettersson (SWE)
75 Nick Watney (USA), Chris Wood (ENG), Graeme McDowell (NIR), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Tom Watson (USA), Marcel Siem (GER), Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), Geoff Ogilvy (AUS), Danny Willett (ENG), Fred Couples (USA), Keegan Bradley (USA), Justin Rose (ENG), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Tano Goya (ARG), Richard Sterne (RSA)
76 Scott Stallings (USA), Matteo Manassero (ITA), Garrick Porteous (ENG), Ashun Wu (CHN), David Duval (USA), Graham Delaet (CAN), Kenichi Kuboya (JPN), Marc Leishman (AUS), Bo Van Pelt (USA), Sandy Lyle (SCO), Richie Ramsay (SCO), George Murray (SCO), Steven Jeffress (AUS), George Coetzee (RSA), Brooks Koepka (USA), Ben Stow (ENG), Stephen Gallacher (SCO), K J Choi (KOR), Gregory Bourdy (FRA), Hyung-sung Kim (KOR)
77 Robert Karlsson (SWE), Vijay Singh (FIJ), Bill Haas (USA), Niclas Fasth (SWE), John Senden (AUS), Mark Brown (NZL), Alvaro Quiros (ESP)
78 Justin Harding (RSA), Luke Guthrie (USA), Robert Garrigus (USA), Gareth Maybin (NIR), Daisuke Maruyama (JPN), Brendan Jones (AUS), Toru Taniguchi (JPN), Hiroyuki Fujita (JPN), D.A. Points (USA), Steven Fox (USA), Jim Furyk (USA), Russell Henley (USA), Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN), Rickie Fowler (USA), Y.E. Yang (KOR)
79 Scott Brown (USA), Nick Faldo (ENG), Thaworn Wiratchant (THA), David Lynn (ENG), Thongchai Jaidee (THA), Lloyd Saltman (SCO), Brett Rumford (AUS), Rory McIlroy (NIR), Darryn Lloyd (RSA)
80 Satoshi Kodaira (JPN), Brian Davis (ENG), Stephen Dartnall (AUS), Lucas Glover (USA), Luke Donald (ENG), Scott Jamieson (SCO)
81 Paul Lawrie (SCO)
82 Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Kyle Stanley (USA)
83 Makoto Inoue (JPN)
84 (x) Rhys Pugh (WAL)
WD: Alexander Noren (SWE), Peter Hanson (SWE), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)