Scott Murray's Blog, page 151

The Open 2017: first round – live!

Live leaderboard! Get all the latest scores from Royal Birkdale
Playing Royal Birkdale is pain and pleasure wrapped into oneAnd feel free to email scott.murray@theguardian.com

9.37am BST

Alfie Plant won the European amateur at Walton Heath earlier this month. The 24-year-old from Kent continues his good form here with a birdie at the opening hole, which is still some test as it stands, even without the wind and rain whipping in from the Irish Sea, as it was earlier. He’s in sole possession of second place right now, because Alex Noren drops one on the difficult par-four 6th. But Noren’s partners both escape the hole with brilliant pars. Russell Knox found the strategically placed bunker on the left of the fairway with his drive, and had to take his medicine and chip out. He saves himself by creaming a hybrid to six feet, and knocking in the saver. Ian Poulter meanwhile sent his second into the bunker front right. His splash out is well short of the hole, but he trundles in the putt to remain in the lead.

-2: Poulter (6)
-1: Plant -a- (1)

9.26am BST

The sun is out, but the wind is getting up again. Mark O’Meara continues to struggle: bogeys at 10 and 11, and he’s +11 already. You can joke that the 1998 Masters and Open champion is playing like an 18-handicapper right now, but this course is as tough as they come, where the slightest mistake is punished in the comprehensive style. Other former champions not necessarily enjoying their morning’s walk: 1985 hero Sandy Lyle, who has reached the turn in 37, three over so far, and his partner Stewart Cink, who is matching him shot for shot. Why couldn’t Cink have played like this in 2009? Nothing personal, he seems like a lovely chap, and in any other circumstances ... but, well, y’know. It’s not easy to let that one go, is it. Oh Tom!

9.17am BST

Poulter bumps delicately over the bunker and into the bank, taking most of the pace off the ball, sending it rolling gently to five feet. That’s some result from where he was. And in goes the par saver. That’s a great up and down. And I was hoping to say the same about Danny Willett, who sent his tee shot at 7 into a circular bunker shaped like a 7-inch single, complete with knoll in the middle as label. He shapes his body like an ampersand, one foot in, one knee out on the grass, and splashes brilliantly to six feet. But he can’t complete the escape, his putt sailing by to the left. The bogey drops him back to level par.

-2: Poulter (5)
-1: Noren (5)
E: Manley (10), Willett (7), Marksaeng (4), Song (3), Kapur (2), Uihlein (2), Henley (1)

9.09am BST

Birdie for Bryson DeChambeau! The appliance of science is finally vindicated on 5, where he finds the front of the green and trundles in a 20-footer for birdie. He’s +4, and looking a little bit happier. A little bit. Birkdale has taken a chunk out of this talented young man. Once he vacates the green, the new leader Ian Poulter approaches ... and is soon screaming “Commit to the shot!” in great frustration. He’s hit a poor one to the right. It should topple into the greenside bunker, but somehow stays out. He’ll be wishing that had dropped into the sand for an easier splash out; as it is, he’s got to scoop his next one over the trap and there’s not a lot of green to play with. That’s a tester, right there.

9.03am BST

Ian Poulter, who briefly threatened to win the Open here in 2008 before coming second, is enjoying something of a career renaissance right now. Second place at the Players Championship this year has really boosted his confidence, and now he’s our new leader! He sends his tee shot at the downhill par-three 4th into the middle of the green, then rolls a snaky right-to-left-to-right 25-footer into the cup for his second birdie of the day! He punches the air and ... well, we’ve an awfully long way to go. But what a story Ian Poulter’s 2017 threatens to become.

-2: Poulter (4)
-1: Willett (6), Noren (4)

8.54am BST

Poulter and Noren take turns to go very close with 30-foot birdie efforts on 3. Not quite, but they remain at -1, and they both appear to be in the mood. The third man in the group, Russell Knox, threatens to join them in the lead, very nearly trundling a chip into the cup from the swale to the left of the hole. He stays at level par. Another bogey for Bryson DeChambeau meanwhile, this time at 4, and he’s +5 already. For the record, Mark O’Meara has reached the turn in 43. Par golf is 34 strokes. A former Masters and Open champion proving how tough links golf is when the weather’s up. He’ll be glad to see the sun finally coming out.

8.45am BST

And while we’re on the subject, so much for Chris Wood’s steady start. He battled through the very worst of the early weather, opening with three solid, street-fighting pars. Now he’s bogeyed 4 and 6, and doubled 7. He’s +4 too. It can go very wrong, very quickly at the Open.

8.40am BST

The woes of poor old Mark O’Meara continue. Having started out with a quadruple bogey, he’s since bogeyed 2, 4 and 6, and there’s a double at the sand-bound par-three 7th. He’s now +9 through 8. The amateur Maverick McNealy, 39 years O’Meara’s junior, isn’t enjoying himself either: bogeys at 4 and 6 to follow his opening-hole triple. He’s +5. Bryson DeChambeau adds to his opening triple with bogey at 2: he’s +4. And it’s back-to-back bogeys for Byeong Hun An, who lets a short putt slide by at 5 to drop to +1. Did I mention improved scoring? Let’s give it time.

8.33am BST

The sun’s threatening to come out! Scoring should steadily improve now. Ian Poulter demonstrates as much by sending his approach at 2 into the heart of the green, pin high, and sending his 25-footer straight into the cup. He’s -1. His partner Alex Noren nearly moves into sole ownership of the lead at -2, but his confident 20-foot trundle shaves the side of the hole. Willett meanwhile has a long look at birdie on 4, but that’ll do for par. These three lads share the lead at -1. Two English players, you’ll note. There’s not been an English winner of the Open since Nick Faldo won at Muirfield in 1992. Could this be the year a long drought ends? Or perhaps Noren will slake Sweden’s 12-month thirst.

8.26am BST

Byeong Hun An sends his tee shot at the par-three 4th into a tight spot. He chips up well to four feet, but pushes his putt to the right. Bogey. Khongwatmai splashes out from sand at 6, but he ends up with double bogey. An ugly seven, and all of a sudden one of the early leaders crashes into the pack: +2.

-1: Willett (3), Noren (1)
E: Manley (6), Lehman (4), An (4), Horschel (3), Knox (1), Poulter (1)

8.20am BST

Danny Willett is a couple of joules of energy short from raking in a long birdie putt on 3. He’ll be happy enough with his start, though, as he stays at -1. He’s joined in the early lead by the in-form Alex Noren, who batters a monster drive down the opening hole and sets up a short birdie putt with a gorgeous wedge. Par for his partners Ian Poulter and Russell Knox. Phachara Khongwatmai’s woes on 6 continue, as he slam-dunks his third from tangled nonsense atop a hill to the right into greenside sand.

8.15am BST

Byeong Hun An, who very nearly made birdie on the opening hole, cards one on 3 to join the leaders Willett and Khongwatmai at -1. The latter will most likely be slipping back down the leader board soon, having shanked his second at the difficult 6th behind a scoreboard on the right. That’s in filth, even if he gets relief. Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau’s wild opening drive out of bounds ends up being very costly. He watches in horror as a double bogey putt horseshoes out; he walks off the 1st green +3, the colour having completely drained from his face. He’s not one for hiding his emotions, and as he attempts a thin-lipped smile to acknowledge the sympathetic smattering of applause he receives, it’s difficult not to feel sorry for the young man right now.

8.05am BST

Danny Willett becomes the first player at this Open Championship to go under par! A birdie at 2, the result of a fine approach to ten feet. And he’s soon joined there by the 18-year-old Thai, Phachara Khongwatmai, who lands his second at 5 close, despite the pin being tucked behind the shoulder of the bunker on the right. In goes the putt, and he’s -1 too! Steve Stricker managed to escape with par on 1 after his errant drive, by the way, as did his partner Matthew Fitzpatrick, who rattled in a 30-foot saver.

-1: Khongwatmai (5), Willett (2)
E: Lehman (2), An (2), Horschel (2), Fitzpatrick (1), Stricker (1)

8.00am BST

Bryson DeChambeau becomes the latest player to wing his opening drive out of bounds down the right. It’s heartbreaking to watch his eager face fall as the ball sails over O’Meara’s Fence. From his win at the John Deere Classic last weekend to this. Golf! One of the game’s great thinkers, DeChambeau. For those who missed our profile on this fascinating young player, here’s an opportunity to live your life without regrets...

Related: Bryson DeChambeau’s scientific method draws stars’ interest before Open debut | Mark Tallentire

7.49am BST

Steve Stricker leads the driving accuracy stats on the PGA Tour. And this most steady of players hasn’t missed a cut in a major since the 2009 PGA. Here he flays a wild tee shot at 1 high on the hill to the left of the hole. The unique pressure of the Open Championship, right there. Up on the green, Willett makes a solid par, though he still looks a little antsy as he escapes this difficult hole. The travails of the last 12 months have left a bit of a scar. God speed, Danny Willett. Meanwhile on 3, Jeunghun Wang - who followed up his double at 1 with bogey at 2 - trundles in a chip from a swale to the right of the green! He’s the second player, after Ryan Moore, to register a birdie this week. He’s +2, and suddenly Royal Birkdale seems a much friendlier place.

7.42am BST

Ryan Moore has yet to make a par. He dumps his tee shot from the elevated box at 4 into the bunker guarding the front right of the green. He can’t get up and down from the deep trap, and he’s +1 again. His playing partner Chris Wood also bogeys the tricky downhill par-three, having come up short, leaving himself with an almost impossible putt from off the front, the huge break too much. And O’Meara makes it three bogeys out of three: he’s +6. The 4th looks like it should be a doddle, incidentally, a pretty little thing. But it’s longer than it looks, and if you don’t hit the well-bunkered green, the best of luck to you.

7.37am BST

Jaidee can’t make his bogey putt on 1, and he’s started out with a double. Another dropped shot for Wang on 2; he’s +3 already. A second bogey for Lyle, and he’s +2 after 2. Meanwhile back on the tee, last year’s Masters champion Danny Willett begins his bid. He’s had a hellish time of it since his success at Augusta, poor form and a bad back. So it’s good to see him cream an iron straight down the middle. The crowd, well-wishers all, reward him with warm applause as they send him on his way. Easy to forget he finished in a tie for sixth at St Andrews a couple of years ago. And up on the green, Byeong Hun An very nearly cards the first birdie on 1, landing a gorgeous second to ten feet. But his putt shaves the left of the hole and stays out. Never mind, par will do. You’ll always be happy to take your par at 1.

7.27am BST

Ryan Moore has responded brilliantly to that opening double bogey. He’s just followed up his birdie at 2 with another at 3, rolling in from 20 feet across the green, having sent his second pin high. A spring in his step as he makes off to the first par-three on the course. He’s one of only five players not over par, though admittedly there’s only a dozen folk out there right now. And the wind and rain is easing off a bit, so the scoring can only get better.

E: Wood (3), Moore (3), Khongwatmai (2), Cink (1), Broadhurst (1)

7.22am BST

Another sorry sight on 1. The veteran Thongchai Jaidee hoicks his opening tee shot into the bushes down the right. Snagging in the filth just before O’Meara’s Fence, that’s not quite OB, but it’s not much of a break. He tries to advance the ball with a basic hack out, but it doesn’t travel very far, squirting maybe ten yards ahead, still in thick rough. A fine, frustrated third, though, finds the heart of the green. A chance to escape with a bogey, albeit from 20 feet or so.

7.16am BST

O’Meara, sadly, dropped another stroke at 2 while Moore was making his birdie. He’s already +5, a nightmare start. A sound opening to Wood’s round, though: once again he bumps a chip to a couple of feet and tidies up for par. Back on the opening hole, Wang is very close to draining a 25-footer for bogey, but it stops short and he’s carding a double. Lyle ends up with a bogey, but Cink sinks a 15-footer to escape with par. Incidentally, in the group ahead, the first amateur out, Maverick McNealy, ran up a seven on this opening hole. It’s tough out there, with the wind whipping in from the sea, forcing tee shot after tee shot towards danger on the right.

7.10am BST

Amid the early carnage, the first birdie of the 146th Open! Ryan Moore caresses his approach at 2 to eight feet. His putt threatens to stay up, but the cup wins the struggle and snaffles the ball from the left lip. In it drops, and he’s back to +1, looking much happier already after an eventful start.

7.05am BST

The 2009 champion

Tom Watson
Stewart Cink is out and about. The dream-wrecking Georgian very nearly sends his tee shot at 1 over O’Meara’s Fence, but the ball stops just shy in the rough. The 1985 winner Sandy Lyle does exactly the same thing, peering after his ball with great concern before breathing out. But the third member of the group, the European Tour rookie of the year Jeunghun Wang, whistles his ball over the dreaded railing. He’s looking for it nevertheless, in forlorn hope, but that’s surely gone.

6.57am BST

O’Meara’s approach isn’t bad, but he’s left with a testing ten footer. Two putts, and that’s a quadruple-bogey 8 to start. Ow. Moore’s shot in wasn’t all that, either. He three putts from 20 feet, and that’s a double. But Wood chips over a bunker to the left of the green, to a couple of feet, and escapes with his par. A huge smile on his face, and no wonder. The first group have taken 18 shots on this hole. Just take a look our very first leader board!

E: Wood (1)
+2: Moore (1)
+4: O’Meara (1)

6.50am BST

The 1st is a hellish opening hole all right, a long, snaking par four with O’Meara’s Bunker down the left, O’Meara’s Fence down the right, and plenty of gorse-covered hillocks either side. It’s not being made any easier by the rain, which is coming down heavy right now. And the wind’s up. And it’s cold. The forecast claims this is going to clear within an hour or so, most of the day being dry with sunny spells. But the wind could be a factor. Links golf! O’Meara is forced to chip out sideways from his bunker, and he can’t reach the green with his fifth. His partners Chris Wood and Ryan Moore haven’t been able to reach the green in regulation either. Expect plenty of drama on this hole today.

6.40am BST

The first shot of the 2017 Open Championship will be struck by Mark O’Meara, who lifted the Claret Jug here in 1998, beating Brian Watts in a play-off. It’s a dreich morning on the Lancashire riviera, drizzle and wind from the Irish Sea getting in the 60-year-old legend’s grille. The Open Championship, ladies and gentlemen! O’Meara is announced and given the warmest ovation. He whips out his 3-wood ... and that looks to have gone over a fence and out of bounds on the right. What a start! His provisional is sent into a deep bunker down the left. Last year’s Open began with Colin Montgomerie suffering a meltdown in a greenside bunker and running up a double bogey. A similar indignity awaits our old champion golfer. The only way is up!

5.46pm BST

Stenson versus Mickelson. How on earth do you follow that?

Well, chances are, you probably don’t. Not if the law of averages is any guide. The previous stone-cold mano-a-mano Open classic, Turnberry’s duel in the sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, occurred in 1977. We’re dealing in 39-year gaps. Don’t hold your breath, folks, 2055 is an awfully long way away.

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Playing Royal Birkdale is pain and pleasure wrapped into one | Scott Murray

The Open venue, where Palmer, Trevino and Watson have won, has been tweaked over the years but never lost its demanding nature and brutish charm

A few weeks before the 1976 Open Cyril Ritson, your man from the Guardian, teed it up at Royal Birkdale. Ritson threw himself into the lion’s den with neither whip nor chair, in order to discover how a self-confessed “20-handicap hacker” would fare on this most testing of championship courses. His opening drive went 40 yards into thick rough; he ended up carding a 12. Though to be fair to the sporting Mr Ritson, he later creamed a three-iron into the heart of the green at the 16th and also drained a monster putt on the 17th. And it was blowing a gale. Nice one, Cyril.

Forty-one years later another member of the Guardian travelling circus came to town. In calm, positively balmy conditions, he sent his opening drive away to the left. His second out of tangled rough did not quite reach the green; a heavy-handed third was bumped through to the fringe at the back. At which point he trundled in a 60-foot putt for par. Thank you, thank you. There will be guys at this week’s Open who would not necessarily say no to a spirit-boosting start like that.

Related: Ian Poulter: ‘Nobody is going to hand you an invite for the Open’ | Ewan Murray

Related: Royal Birkdale stays true to its winners’ heritage before 146th Open | Mark Tallentire

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Gary Player: ‘I became a champion because I knew what it was to suffer’

The South African on his lonely childhood, his first Open, his heroes on and off the course ... and why he believes Tiger, Seve and Mickelson got a little lucky

Hello, Mr Player! Let’s get right down to brass tacks: the Open or the Masters? Without a doubt, I choose the Open. No disrespect to the Masters, which I love, but the Open Championship is the oldest and most historic professional golf tournament in the world. I love links golf courses. You can run the ball up, you can hit it high, you can draw or fade it. That’s why the Open is the most important tournament. By far. It tests your balls!

Related: The forgotten story of … how the white ball was dismissed as an unwanted fad | Simon Burnton

Related: Stephen Hendry: ‘In a fight, it would be hard to get past Jimmy White’

Jack Nicklaus was the greatest gentleman I ever played with. If you hit a great shot, he'd be complimentary

The way people have jumped on Tiger is cruel. People should remember his brilliance

Retirement is a death warrant! I'm 82. I work as hard at 82 as I did at 25

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The Fiver | A fee that would build more soul-sapping live music venues under the stands

In today’s Fiver: 12-volt electric wire, Daniel Levy getting his £ and more

The transfers are beginning to fly thick and fast now. Arguably the most important deal of the last 24 hours was struck by Aberdeen, who signed Queen’s Celtic jinking genius Gary Garrincha-Mackay-Steven just in time for Thursday’s Big Vase qualifier against Siroki Brijeg. We should have mentioned this yesterday, truth be told, but that’s probably for the best, given that talk of Scottish teams in Big Vase would invariably lead back to the recent humiliation of a certain side in Luxembourg, and we wouldn’t have wanted to harsh anyone’s buzz on a very special day. Anyway, we hope everyone had a good time marching, torching teetering piles of pallets, and playing Roy Orbison deep cuts on piccolo. Meanwhile best of luck to the Dons, and indeed Progrès Niederkorn.

Related: Everton set to increase bid and sign Gylfi Sigurdsson after Swansea reject £40m

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The forgotten story of … Seve, a hacker and Johnny Miller's 1976 Open

A Royal Birkdale scorcher saw a teenage Spaniard make a run for glory, a qualifier endure 121 mishaps and the stories amass on the Lancashire Riviera

Britain sweltered in record temperatures during the summer of 1976. Office workers cavorted in the fountains of Trafalgar Square. Fire swept across Surrey heathland. Snow machines were deployed to spray melting Cumbrian roads. West Yorkshire police officers were ordered on health grounds not to wear ties between 6am and 10pm. The Automobile Association reported a record number of overheating engines. At the Henley Regatta, gentlemen were permitted to take off their jackets for the first time in 137 years. Even the EEC’s butter mountain began to melt. Metaphorically speaking, that is, with dairy cattle slaughtered because of the lack of grass, but you get the general drift. Phew, what a scorcher!

Related: Scott Murray on the surreal life story of the late Maurice Flitcroft

A snap exists of Mr 121 standing a yard away from a frowning Seve, the absurdly talented young star in a funk of his own

Related: The Joy of Six: Open nightmares | Scott Murray

Related: Bill Elliott on Seve Ballesteros

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The Fiver | Bundling players in and out of Old Trafford like a man possessed

In today’s Fiver: Man Utd’s doorframe, and heartwarming revenue news

We already know who’s going to win next season’s Premier League. It’ll be Everton, won’t it. That’s if all this noise everyone’s making about their best summer in the transfer market since the time they bought Dave Watson and Paul Power in short order is anything to go by. But the battle for second place should be interesting, with fellow spendthrifts Manchester United currently making the strongest claim. Because after a quiet start to the transfer window, José Mourinho has suddenly started to bundle players in and out of the Old Trafford front door like a man possessed. Careful, will you! You’ll have that thing off its hinges!

Related: Manchester United step up efforts to sign Eric Dier from Tottenham

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Football transfer rumours: Zlatan Ibrahimovic to sign new United contract?

Today’s fluff is damp and matted

Zlatan is back! The Rumour Mill isn’t 100% sure that he ever really went away, contractually, spiritually or otherwise. But having won the League Cup for Manchester United, plus finally landing a European trophy, sort of, he fancies more of the same next season. And so he’ll be signing a new deal with the Old Trafford giants once his leg is healed.

United also want the Monaco midfielder Fabinho, though Atlético Madrid have thrown their hat in that particular ring too, with a note stuffed in the band setting out details of a loan back while their transfer ban remains in place. Atlético are also still in the hunt for Diego Costa, and plan to park him at Besiktas until things cool off.

Related: Dani Alves to join PSG after turning down Manchester City

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The Fiver | Then the transfer window opened, and now the internet is full

In today’s Fiver: Romelu Lukaku, t1t-for-tat in League Two and more

The internet was once assumed to be infinite, an ever-expanding philosophical arena with no boundaries or limits, a technological playground transcending time, a concept stretching out forever into space. But then the transfer window opened, and now the internet is full. There’s no room left! It’s stuffed to the brim, you see, with angry football fans bemoaning the sheer ineptitude of those in charge at their club of choice. The reason? All of their summer business has yet to be concluded. The window’s only been open for 161 hours! It’s completely disproportionate and irrational rage, the sort usually displayed by callers to phone-in shows upon being asked to name just one of the EU laws they say they don’t like, or Mike Ashley when a business associate takes longer than three-and-a-half minutes to get back from the bar with the next round of pints. But this is where we are.

Related: Chelsea winded by Romelu Lukaku blow and Conte will demand answers | Dominic Fifield

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Football transfer rumours: Liverpool in for Leicester City’s Demarai Gray?

Today’s rumours are cleaning up the terrace

So Romelu Lukaku will most likely be showcasing his silky first touch at Manchester United next season. This being the case, expect blistering hot steam to whistle a-plenty from the facial apertures of long-time admirer Antonio Conte, making him wonder whether it’s worth hanging around in his current job much longer. With Diego Costa already for the off and Chelsea light up front, a crisis looms at Stamford Bridge. The purchase of Real Madrid’s Álvaro Morata and Swansea’s Fernando Llorente may avert it. It may not.

Related: Leicester in place to sign £25m Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City

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Football transfer rumours: Barcelona to swoop for Ander Herrera?

Today’s fluff needs a spruce-up

The transfer window formally opens tomorrow. About time too, we could do with a blast of fresh air, it’s clammy in here. Some new idle conjecture and flat-out lies, please! Because much of this is getting old.

Barcelona are still seriously interested in Manchester United’s magnificently entertaining irritant Ander Herrera. They plan an imminent move for the Scrappy Doo who actually cashes the cheques he writes, although United aren’t too keen to sell. Barça are making out that they’re more interested in the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti, but let’s see.

Related: Bournemouth sign Nathan Aké from Chelsea in record £20m deal

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