OWN CORRESPONDENT, Carnoustie | Thursday 5.30pm.
A RELIEVED Ernie Els marched off the 18th green, delighted that the winds sweeping in off the Firth of Tay had failed to blow away his British Open championship hopes.
The South Africa was delighted to finish third with a 74 – only three-over-par on the hardest course in Open history.
“If the winds stay like this I’ll take four 74s now and just sit in the clubhouse,” he smiled.
“I’ll tell you, it was awful tough out there today.”
Rounds in the 80s abounded, even though the winds were relatively mild early in the day before picking up in the afternoon. Among the victims were rookie sensation Sergio Garcia, who opened with a triple bogey, closed with a double, and shot an 18-over 89, and defending champion Mark O’Meara, who finished with 83.
Through it all emerged a most unlikely clubhouse leader in Rodney Pampling, a 30-year-old Australian playing in his first Open. Pampling, taking advantage of playing in the second group out in light winds, used an eagle on the par-5 14th to shoot even par 71.
“The course is vicious,” US Open winner Payne Stewart said after shooting 79.
Par was a score to covet on a brutally tough course that left even those who played well exhausted after 18 holes. Midway through the first day of play, the field was averaging 78.3 strokes.
“It takes a lot out of you,” said Bernhard Langer, who played with Pampling and shot a 72. “I’m just glad to get the first round over.” Els started off with a birdie but two holes later made a double bogey thanks to three putts in what was to turn into a round of mixed fortunes.
But the two-time US Open champion refused to let it get to him.
“You have to take the good with the bad,” said Els, who is starting to give the bookmakers nightmares after fans invested in him at a generous 20-1.
One man put a 4000 bet on him, reported Ladbrokes.
Els readily admitted his putter had saved the day for him.
“I don’t know what my stats were on the greens but it must be in the low 20s. I made a lot of putts, got it up and down from almost everywhere but still shot 74,” said Els.
“Every hole is a challenge. I don’t think anybody has played a golf course like this. I have never played a golf course playing this tough. I have never seen rough like this.”
A hint of how tough the course was came by the time the first 16 groups had finished. Their total scores came to 348-over-par – seven-over for each player. — AFP