• Spaniard takes first-round lead at Turnberry on six under
• Five-times champion shoots 65 at 59 after operation
Miguel Angel Jiménez’s rolling putt across Turnberry’s 18th green in the evening gave the Spaniard the first-round lead but it could not deny the old warrior Tom Watson another day in the sun.
“It was a perfect day for golf and I played almost perfect golf,” said the languorous Spaniard afterwards. As for the man he edged into second place, he shrugged and said: “He was a legend before, he was a legend today and he will be a legend tomorrow.” Jiménez, not for the first time in his life, hit the back of the cup with one of his homemade aphorisms.
This truly was a day that belonged to the ageless American and to those who never cease to wonder at the game’s limitless capacity to surprise. Eight months removed from hip replacement surgery and 32 years from his Open victory here, Watson’s 65 was six shots more than his age and one shot less than every other player in the field bar Jiménez, American Ben Curtis and Kenichi Kuboya of Japan.
“There was some spirituality out there today,” the 59-year-old said after signing his scorecard. There was a fair bit of incredulity too, not least because the five‑time Open champion arrived at Turnberry this week carrying little hope, only his clubs and a bagful of memories. He won on the Ailsa course in 1977, of course, in the famous “Duel in the Sun” against Jack Nicklaus. It would be too much to ask that the codger could repeat the trick but he can dream.
“I do have some real zip and 65 is the way to start it,” he said when asked if he could picture himself in what would be the most stirring Open finale since, well, 1977. “Will I be able to handle the pressure? I don’t know. Maybe the light switch will go and I will play without too much pressure, or maybe the pressure will be too much to handle. But I have been there before.”
He has indeed, as have a few other players who were lurking in close proximity as the day drew towards its close. Curtis, who won the 2003 Open at Sandwich, joined his garlanded compatriot in the clubhouse on five under par, while three other former champions, Mark O’Meara (1998), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and John Daly (1995) also made their star-spangled presence felt on a first-round leaderboard that was marginally more crowded than the noticeably diminished galleries.
As for the European players, there was much flattering and more than a little deceiving. Lee Westwood birdied his opening three holes, hit his tee shot on the par-three 4th to three feet but missed the putt and then played the next 14 holes in one over to finish with a 68.
Paul Casey was another who sprinted out of the blocks, playing the front nine in 31 shots, only to stagger up the final fairway, two over par for the back nine. Still the world No3 had every right to be pleased with his day and his two-under-par 68. He will begin today’s second round knowing he is in close contention with the leaders. Rory McIlroy was another who finished the day under par and in touching distance of Jiménez.
Alas, the same could not be said of Ian Poulter, who turned up in typically garish outfit – Union Jack waistcoat, tartan trousers – only to produce some untypically poor golf. The Englishman returned to his Ayrshire billet having signed for a birdie-less 75 and having learned a harsh lesson about the perils of drawing attention to oneself.
Speaking of such dangerous sports, Sandy Lyle took 75 swings at his ball on the course and one more at Colin Montgomerie in the presence of the assembled microphones, prolonging the feud without end for at least another day when he described his fellow Scot as a “drama Queen”.
There is undoubtedly a bit of truth in that but at this stage in the proceedings it is difficult to understand what is motivating Lyle. Maybe, in the old boxing phrase, he is simply trying to drum up box office, in which case he might have a point.
Despite the best efforts of the R&A to suggest otherwise, it is evident that the economic downturn has affected the Open, with attendances figures up on those in 1994 – when the championship was last played here – but clearly down on last year’s turn-out at Birkdale.
Fortunately for those of the paying public who did turn up there is no global recession when it comes to accurate driving, terrific iron play and outrageous putts holed, especially not on days such as this, when the breeze was never more than a whisper. “She was defenceless today” was Watson’s description of the course and by and large he was right.
The numbers certainly supported this view. As dusk fell, 51 players were under par, with another 21 on level par. Yet it would be a foolish man who would imagine that the calm conditions and low scoring will continue through until Sunday. The Ailsa course is no Carnoustie but nor is it Royal Liverpool, as Tiger Woods will attest.
The world No1 played his most conservative brand of golf yesterday, as he did in winning at Hoylake three years ago, but still came undone as he shot a one-over-par 71. That left him as the last-placed finisher in a three-ball featuring Westwood and the Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa – a surprise, no doubt, but not the biggest surprise of the day. That particular distinction belonged to Tom Watson.
