Clarke only Open player to beat card

PAUL McGINLEY and Raymond Burns gave Europe's US Open contingent a lesson in accurate iron play after Anglo Scot Andy Oldcorn had shot a pace setting 66 in the first round of the English Open at the Forest of Arden yesterday.

The two young Irishmen each shot 69, while Darren Clarke, despite being penalised two shots at his first hole, was alone among the eight British and Irish players bound for Detroit next week, who managed to beat the card.

Defending champion Philip Walton, who played alongside favourite Colin Montgomerie, had a solid 73, but the Scot, who dropped five shots in the space of four holes just before the turn, floundered to a 75.

There was more than a touch of irony about Montgomerie's fall from grace, for he had been instrumental in re-fashioning the Warwickshire parkland course to resemble a US Open venue.

But Montgomerie shrugged off his embarrassment and recovered some of his lost ground by chipping in for an eagle at the 17th, where Burns made his score by hitting the green at the par five with a six iron after a huge drive and holing from five feet.

He had three birdies in his first seven holes. McGinley managed four, his first at the 13th being somewhat fortunate when his wayward drive hit a tree and his ball rebounded into the fairway. From there he struck a three iron to six feet and sank the putt.

An orthodox two at the 18th, where he holed from 30 feet, got him out in 35 and he played faultlessly on the way home. A good pitch to four feet at the fourth and a five iron approach to 15 feet at the sixth both yielded birdies. He missed only one fairway and hit 16 greens in regulation.

Clarke did well to recover from his unnerving start, which cost him a double bogey six when he played the wrong ball from the rough on the right of the 10th fairway.

The Ulsterman, who always marks his golf balls with two dark green dots above the name and number, did not suspect anything amiss when he discovered a Titleist One nestling down in the lush grass and discerned two dark dots.

But after thrashing the ball out of the undergrowth, his marker Peter Mitchell, stumbled on a Titleist One ball in a perfect lie, some 20 yards further on. Mitchell picked it up, immediately noticed two dark green spots, and asked Clarke if it was his. When, the Irishman examined the ball he had just struck he realised his error. It was the same make and number as his, but marked by two black spots.

"I have never played a wrongs ball before, so I thought I was about to be disqualified," said Clarke, after learning that he could replay his recovery shot by dropping the correct ball under a penalty of two shots.

Clarke got one shot back by holing a 25 foot bunker shot at the but turned two over when he pulled his drive and to take six at the long 17th.

However his golf on the homeward run was exemplary. He followed a second birdie from 12 feet at the first by hitting the long third with a drive and three wood, then ensured he would be under par by holing from 20 feet at the sixth.

Walton was also content, despite having only two birdies on his card. They came at the eighth where he holed from 20 feet for his two, and at the 17th, where he got down from 12 feet. But he missed several short putts of the length he will expect to hole this morning.

Des Smyth took 74, but Eamonn Darcy and Christy O'Connor Jnr both struggled.