Former champion Ernie Els, yet to win this year, moved into a seven-way tie for the early lead with a four-under-par 68 in the British Open first round on Thursday.
Determined to shake off a loss of form following a knee injury last season, the big South African rattled up six birdies and two bogeys in near-perfect scoring conditions at Hoylake.
After finding a bunker off the tee at the last, the 2002 winner had to settle for a closing par to finish level with Sergio Garcia, Australians Marcus Fraser and Mark Hensby, South Korea’s SK Ho, Canada’s Mike Weir and Mikko Ilonen of Finland.
”I didn’t play the last hole very well but it’s always nice to make a par-saving putt,” Els told reporters. ”I’ll settle for four under. I’m swinging well and today [Thursday] was a pretty good score for me.”
Twice-champion Tiger Woods, tournament favourite this week despite having played only two events over the last three months, was among the late starters.
The world number one, who romped to victory by five strokes at St Andrews last year, was scheduled to tee off in the company of three-time winner Nick Faldo and Shingo Katayama of Japan.
Upbeat mood
Spaniard Garcia, who tied for fifth in last year’s Open championship at St Andrews, was in upbeat mood after picking up shots at two of the last three holes.
”I’m pretty happy with it,” he said. ”I feel that my putting is starting to come back and I putted nicely on the front nine.
”My game is not quite where I want it to be, but it’s getting there. It was a pretty comfortable day out there.”
Fraser, who missed the cut last year in his first British Open, was delighted with his form after overnight rain took some of the sting out of a Royal Liverpool layout baked rock-hard after weeks of unrelenting sunshine.
”I’m happy with the way things are going, feel like I’m playing well and looking forward to tomorrow [Friday],” he said.
”It’s still firm, but definitely not anywhere near what it was at the start of the week. It’s playing maybe one or two shots easier.”
The scheduled start of the 135th Open championship was put back by half an hour because of thunderstorms in the area. — Reuters