Woods shines on familiar territory
Tiger Woods wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet in the British Open championship at St Andrews on the course where he built his legacy in 2000.
Winner by a massive eight strokes with a record 19 under par score five years ago, the scary thought for his rivals now is that the world number one is ahead of that pace after an eight-birdie 66 round the Home of Golf today.
But one of his achievements in 2000 will not be repeated – Woods has already been in not just one bunker, but three.
Going in the giant Shell trap on the downwind 390-yard seventh did not prove costly, the 29-year-old American recovering to four feet for a three.
But after following that with four more in a row from the ninth to race into a three-stroke lead Woods did give the chasing pack hope for the next three days by visiting the Coffins at the 13th and Wig on the 16th and bogeying both.
The day was completed with another birdie putt, though, and Woods was not surprisingly a happy man afterwards.
Not simply pleased with his work, but thankful he had his mother watching as he did it.
Woods revealed that she was in a London hotel and close to the bomb area last Thursday. He thought of her when the Open observed the national two-minute silence at noon.
“I was very thankful that my mom is still here,” he said. “It very easily could have been pretty tragic for me personally.
“I can only imagine what everyone else who was involved, where they lost a loved one or had loved ones hurt, what they might have been going through.”
As for how he is playing Woods, first and second in the first two majors this year, said: “Although it was a totally different wind to last time I still feel very comfortable out there.”
The odds on him winning again were slashed to an incredible even money for a while, but late in the day Sergio Garcia came into the picture.
Six years ago – in the Spaniard’s first season as a professional – they had a memorable duel at the US PGA. When Garcia reached five under after 12 holes he had the chance to set up a rematch this weekend.
England’s Steve Webster, top amateur ahead of Woods when the 1995 championship was staged at the course, threw away an even better opportunity to eclipse him.
Webster eagled the long fifth and then chipped in for another at the 352-yard ninth to turn in a six under 30 and shared top spot.
It did not last, though. The 29-year-old from Warwickshire fell away by bogeying the 10th and 11th, double-bogeying the 13th and dropping another shot at the 16th.
Luke Donald, on the other hand, joined the large band of players on 68 and is still thinking not only of making his first halfway cut in six attempts in the Open, but challenging come Sunday.
Still being around by then looks a tall order for playing partner Jack Nicklaus now. After a dream birdie start to the final major of his career the 65-year-old Golden Bear could do no better than 75.
Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie would have liked Nicklaus’ opening three. Westwood, fourth last year, pitched into the Swilcan Burn and double-bogeyed en route to a 76, while Montgomerie drove into it for the first time in his life.
But he did at least come back from the resultant bogey for a 71.
Ernie Els, the only player ahead of Woods after the opening round in 2000 and eventually a distant second with Thomas Bjorn, got nowhere near him this time.
After two birdies in the first four the South African, runner-up to Todd Hamilton after a play-off at Troon last year, dropped eight behind Woods with a 74. Playing partner Darren Clarke was only one better.
World number two Vijay Singh, among the later starters, was two under with six to play, but following a triple bogey seven on the 15th number four Phil Mickelson was back on two over.
Others in on four under were Retief Goosen – desperate to show a closing 81 at the US Open last month has done no long-term damage – Scottish amateur Eric Ramsay, Jose Maria Olazabal, little-known German Tino Schuster, Australian Peter Lonard and Americans Scott Verplank and Chris Riley.
South Africa’s Trevor Immelman and Australia’s Mark Hensby, who turned down the chance to play a year ago, were on the same mark with two and six to play respectively.
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