Golf: Goosen misses out on birdie record
Retief Goosen was one putt away from a European Tour record as he established a first-round lead at the Lancome Trophy in Paris.
Despite problems first with traffic and then with spectators he suspected had never been on a golf course before, the South African began his defence of the trophy with a seven-under-par 64 that included seven successive birdies.
If Goosen had made a 30-footer on the 417-yard 11th he would have matched the record of eight in a row set by Ian Woosnam at Fulford in 1985 and subsequently equalled by Seve Ballesteros, Tony Johnstone, John Bickerton, Mark O'Meara, Raymond Russell, Darren Clarke and Marcello Santi.
"I hit a good putt and it was right on line, but it came up a foot short," he said. "Not that I knew eight was a record."
He kept his concentration despite the constant clicking of cameras and other distractions, but admitted: "It was difficult out there."
The traffic jams outside St-Nom-la-Breteche had prompted organisers to push back the tee-off times for all the afternoon starters by 15 minutes and some of the players were given police escorts.
Goosen's playing partner Colin Montgomerie managed only a four over par 75. He struggled with driving on the course rather than off it.
A minute's silence was held at midday - the fact that it started raining right at that moment prompted Sergio Garcia to say 'it was if the sky was crying' - flags were at half-mast and many of the players wore black ribbons.
Goosen, who led from start to finish when he won both the US Open in June and the Scottish Open in July, finished the opening round two ahead of seven players - Scots Andrew Coltart and Gary Orr, English trio Steve Webster, Mark Roe and Gary Emerson, Australian Scott Gardiner and Swede Mikael Lundberg, who would have shared top spot but for a closing double bogey.
Emerson, 38 next Wednesday, has never finished higher than fifth, but after an early bogey hit back with six birdies.
Garcia and Woosnam are in the group two further back on 68.
