Torrance horrid start to B&H Open
Sam Torrance’s affection for The Belfry was put to the test immediately today with a horrid start to the Benson and Hedges International Open.
Back on the course where he won the Ryder Cup for Europe in 1985 and then last September captained them to another victory over the Americans, Torrance slumped to three over par after three holes and at that point was lying dead last.
The broomhandle putter which has served the 49-year-old Scot so well over the years did him no good at all on the 311-yard 10th.
He elected to use it from the edge of the rough after sending his pitch over the water a fraction too far, but moved the ball only 10 of the necessary 25 feet and then had two more putts for a bogey five.
However, worse was to come when he double-bogeyed the 208-yard 12th to drop five behind early leader Miles Tunnicliff, who was the very first player to tee off over on the front nine and birdied the second and fourth holes.
South African Retief Goosen, the European tour’s leading money-winner the last two seasons, had almost as bad an opening as Torrance.
He too bogeyed the 10th after finding sand with his second, then took four on the short 12th to stand two over.
Ryder Cup Swede Niclas Fasth found the water on the 10th and double-bogeyed, but team-mate Thomas Bjorn, returning from two months off to be with his new twins (one of whom had breathing difficulties at first), birdied the hole.
Three more of Torrance’s side – Darren Clarke, match-winner Paul McGinley and Bernhard Langer – each kicked off with two pars, although Clarke had to produce a delicate chip at the 10th to save his four after pushing his approach.
Nick Faldo and Justin Rose, playing together just behind, also parred the 10th.
Latest scores:
TUNNICLIFF 6 -2
WEBSTER 6 -2
BJÖRN 5 -2
BENNETT 3 -2
Irish scores:
MCDOWELL 6 -1
MCGINLEY 5 -1
CLARKE 3 +2
