Top five will do for Tiger but Harrington struggles
Tiger Woods might not have been able to match wunderkind Rory McIlroy's nine-under-par 63 in today's first round of the Open Championship, but Woods will doubtless be pleased with an opening round of five-under-par 67 that keeps him within chasing distance of the clubhouse leader.
Woods couldn't have asked for better conditions as he returned to St Andrews, the venue of two of his three Open wins in the past decade, and the 14-time major winner proceeded to make hay while the sun shone (or the wind stayed away, at least).
Woods carded six birdies, three coming in as many holes on the back nine, before a bogey on the 17th saw him finish in a tie for fifth place, along with fellow American's Nick Watney, Lucas Glover and Sean O'Hair, and Germany's Marcel Siem.
While the world No. 1 has struggled this year away from the majors, he ended with fourth-place finishes at both the Masters and the US Open, and the 34-year-old may be capable of improving on those placings here at the Old Course, judged on his opening round.
The ever courteous Padraig Harrington is one of the most well-liked players on the circuit, but how Harrington kept smiling today is a mystery, the Irishman finishing one-over-par 73 on a day when the two-time Open winner could surely have expected to challenge for a top spot.
Despite ideal conditions, the 38-year-old started with a double bogey six on the 1st, attempted to rectify that with a birdie on the next hole - and then bogeyed again on the third. After another birdie on the 5th, the Irishman looked capable of salvaging something when he birdied the 14th and 15th, only for a pair or bogeys to follow on the next two holes.
Ernie Els was three-under with birdies few and far between during his opening round, the South African finding them only on the 9th, 16th and 18th, though at least there were no bogeys. Last year's champion, Stewart Cink, finished on two-under after a bogey on the third.
The much-fancied Justin Rose finished on the same score despite a promising beginning, the Englishman making two birdies on the opening two holes. But Rose couldn't build on that stellar start, the 29-year-old finding only another two birdies throughout the round, while also bogeying the 8th and 17th.
Rose wasn't the only Englishman who promised much but failed to deliver, with Ian Poulter only able to finish one-under, having struck three birdies and a pair of bogeys on a disappointing opener.
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