Daly dominating as Open gets underway
John Daly was the unlikely early leader at St Andrews as the 139th Open Championship got under way this morning with none of the bad weather that had buffeted the Old Course yesterday.
Daly's recent record at the Open - at pretty much any competition you care to mention, come to that - is almost as shocking as the lilac patterned trews the 1995 Open champion chose to wear today, but the 44-year-old's game was not to be sniffed at, Daly carding seven birdies after the first 11 holes to lead the field at seven-under-par.
Germany's Marcel Siem is in second place, the pony-tailed Prussian five-under, while Australia's John Senden and England's Simon Dyson are tied for fourth place on four-under, all three having played as far as the 13th.
Two of the favourites, Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, teed off at just after 9.00am, and so far Rose is looking the sharper of the pair, the Englishman two-under-par after four holes while Woods is one under.
The most recent British winner's campaign is also under way, 1999 champion Paul Lawrie on one-under after 14 holes; the Scot teed off at 6.30am and has picked up three birdies already, but also a pair of bogeys.
Rory McIlroy is nine holes in and three-under-par, having just eagled the 9th, while Ian Poulter has just finished the 5th and is on one-under. Ryo Ishikawa is on the same score, having only played three holes, while Ernie Els is on level par after five.
But both Padraig Harrington and Tom Watson are off to poor starts, Harrington two-over after the first four holes while Watson is three-over. And South Africa's Charl Schwartzel is dead last of those players who have already started, the 25-year-old four-over after eight holes, having double-bogeyed the 2nd.
It's very early days at the Old Course but so far conditions are pretty calm, neither wind or rain besetting the early starters, which must come as a relief after yesterday's treacherous conditions meant the planned Open Champions Challenge had to be cancelled.
The four-hole mini-tournament between previous champions had been organised to celebrate the 150th year of the Open, and had been set to feature legends of the game like the 80-year-old Arnold Palmer and the 87-year-old Roberto de Vicenzo.
The bad news is that conditions are expected to worsen as the tournament continues, more rain expected later today while high winds are forecast to return in the coming days.
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