Walton's clubs turn up in time at Mougins

A FIRST hole birdie and another at the 18th enabled Philip Walton to survive one of professional golf's most serious occupational hazards in France yesterday. The Ryder Cup golfer had a two under par 70 in the first of the Cannes Open at Royal Mougins despite not being able to play a practice, round because golf clubs and luggage had been lost in transit from Dublin to the Cote d'Azur.

It left him only three shots adrift of the surprise first round leader Stephen Scahill of New Zealand whose 67 gave him the narrowest of advantages over Dutchman Rolf Muntz, Paul Broadhurst, Stuart Cage and David Carter, the Englishman who is making his comeback on the Riviera after brain surgery, seven weeks ago.

Walton, his clubs, and fresh clothes, were reunited on Wednesday night after the Malahide professional had spent most of the day on the telephone. "I must have made 15 calls trying to track them down," he said. If my clubs had not arrived, I would have been forced to pull out."

Walton had to be content with a work out on the practice ground and a massage in the travelling physiotherapy unit on his troublesome neck, but was thoroughly relaxed as he tackled the swirling wind that troubled the majority of the field.

A 20 foot putt on the opening green put him in optimistic mood, but it proved a mixed blessing. It meant he was first up on the tee at the steeply descending short second, and hit his six iron tee shot so far over the green that it landed on the 18th fairway. The group's third man got his clubbing right, by dropping down to an eight iron to hit the 201 yards target.

However Walton chipped in to birdie the seventh, before having his second three putt of the opening half at the ninth. But a nine iron tee shot only two feet from the 10th flag and a 25 foot putt at the 16th set him up for a grandstand finish.

It was slightly marred when Walton missed the green at the short 17th with his wedge shot, but he hit two drivers with his, customary accuracy to reach the fringe of the 18th, and a deft chip and run and four foot putt, finished off the good work.

Paul McGinley and Des Smyth both shot 72, one over par, while Ronan Rafferty, the former European number one, had 74, and David Higgins took 76. McGinley made a promising start when accurate wedge approaches set up birdie fours at the fourth and fifth, but after three putts at the short fifth, he was bamboozled by the wind. "I hit three wrong clubs in a row," he said after taking three successive bogeys from the seventh to the ninth.

He was short at the first two, and long at the third and on each occasion found himself chipping from a position where it was almost impossible to salvage par.

McGinley almost sank his eight iron tee shot at the 10th, requiring only to hole from 12 inches for a birdie, but was unable to make further inroads on par.

Smyth was much happier with his performance after taking four bogeys in the first six holes, twice - through three putting, and twice from missing greens. But birdies at the fourth and seventh helped to turn the tide and a strong finish completed his recovery. Smyth almost sank his wedge approach to the 14th from 135 yards, and after carefully laying up, well wide of the lake at the last, was rewarded with a birdie four when he holed from 12 feet.

"I am very happy with that because the wind was so tricky," said the former Ryder Cup golfer, who has a new benefactor. Smyth now represents the new Westpoint sports centre being built at Blanchardstown. "They like my clean cut, healthy image," he said.

Higgins was left to rue a double bogey seven at the last, where he over shot the green, then so badly misjudged his return chip that he put himself in a position from where three putts were almost inevitable. It meant a homeward 41, after he, too, had started with a birdie, and got to the turn in 35.

Rafferty, who was out early when the wind was at its strongest, was three over par after 14 holes. He then birdied the 15th and 16th, only to lose half the benefit by taking six at the last.

Carter, who was, in the match behind, dispelled his fears that he might have lost some of his acumen after his brain operation, by getting home in 33, and was only denied a share of the lead because Scahill collected birdies on the last two greens. "I was worried that I might have lost the thinking part of the game," said, the 24 year old Englishman, who is suffering from a temporary loss of short term memory. But now I am back inbusiness."