… and a soft summer breeze at The Open
Johnson & Johnson … Sounds more like an advertisement for baby lotion than a headline for The Open Golf Championship. Soft is, however, how you could best describe the conditions at the Old Course of St Andrews on Thursday morning. The famous links course lay still and glistened with a rare haze of green for the time of year. There was barely a cloud in the sky and just a soft summer breeze. It was a perfect day for golf. No wonder then that more than 60 players broke par on the opening day.
Stars and stripes dominate the crowded leader-board at the 144th Open Championship. An American is looking in good shape to lift the Claret Jug at St Andrews this year. No less than six Americans feature in the top ten with Dustin Johnson from South Carolina leading the way after day one on 7-under par. The lean, long-hitting 31-year old carded an impressive 65 on the Old Course to take the championship lead by one shot.
Among the six players bunched up one stroke behind him on 66 (6-under par) is past Open Champion Paul Lawrie. The Scotsman admits to feeling inspired by golf legend Arnold Palmer during the Champions Challenge a few days ago. Fired up too, no doubt, with recollections of his bizarre victory at Carnoustie. The famous play-off with Justin Leonard (USA) and, more especially, Frenchman Jean van de Velde, who had looked set to win The Open in 1999 until his unbelievable water hazard fiasco at the 18th. Retief Goosen (RSA), England’s Danny Willett, a really on-form Jason Day (AUS) and two fellow Americans, Robert Streb and namesake, Zach Johnson complete the line-up in second place.
Wendy Hoad