The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Defending champion Padraig Harrington in lead

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Defending champion Padraig Harrington in lead

Photo: AFP

Taking charge: Greg Norman of Australia watches as Padraig Harrington plays his tee shot on the second hole. —

SOUTHPORT: Greg Norman dropped shots at the first three holes and handed defending champion Padraig Harrington the lead at the British Open on Sunday.

Aiming to become golf’s oldest Major champion at age 53, Norman is also chasing his third Open title 15 years after his second. But he found a greenside bunker at the first hole at Royal Birkdale and his difficult shot out of the sand left him with a 25-foot par putt which lipped the hole.

His tee shot at the second landed in the rough and he then missed a six-foot par putt for another bogey 5. Norman then sent an eight-footer wide of the hole for his third bogey after Harrington had holed a 12-footer for his third par. That put the Irishman, who won a playoff last year for his first Major, one stroke ahead at 4 over.

Wakefield second

Just ahead of them on the course, K.J. Choi bogeyed four of the first six holes to slip to 8 over. Englishman Simon Wakefield bogeyed the first but came back with a birdie 3 at the fifth to give him a share of second place alongside Norman at 5 over, one behind Harrington. Chris Wood, the leading amateur in the field, went out in 1-under 33 to move into fourth place on 7 over.

By the time Norman went out alongside Harrington, 13 other Major winners who had all won their titles since the Australian’s triumph at Royal St. George’s 15 years ago were trailing on the scoreboard.

They included Ernie Els, who carded his second 69 of the tournament only to finish 12-over largely because of his opening round 80.

David Duval, the 2001 winner just down the road at Royal Lytham, was heading for an even par 70 but bogeyed the last for a 16-over total of 296. Phil Mickelson also made a 71 and finished 14-over.

Ten years after he famously chipped in at the last as a 17-year-old amateur, Justin Rose limped home 21-over par.

“I knew coming into this week it’s not a fairytale, not a magical place for me,” Rose said. “It was a magical week last time but it’s still a golf course in a major championship and you have to go out and put in a good performance.

Lee Westwood, considered a leading contender here after a third place finish at last month’s U.S. Open, was also labouring in the windy conditions. Starting out 17-over, Westwood had a similar mixture of bogeys and birdies on the same early holes and also wound up 21-over after a 74.

Martin Kaymer, a rising star from Germany who has won twice this season and hopes to get in Europe’s Ryder Cup team in September, has had a miserable first Open. Starting off with five straight pars, he dropped seven shots in the next four holes to reach the turn in 41. With two holes to play he was 24-over.

Right at the back of the field and first out on the course, Singapore’s Lam Chih-bing also had major problems in the wind.

He triple-bogeyed the second and double-bogeyed the sixth and another double at 15 meant he finished 31-over 311 an 81. — AP

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