They are referred to rather innocently as "others" in the scoring business. To a tournament professional, however, anything more than a bogey at a hole can be potentially crippling, especially in pursuit of glittering prizes.

Royal Lytham had quite a spate of "others" yesterday, when the combined restrictions of 197 bunkers and penal rough created some serious horror stories. And top of the list was American Jim Furyk, who beat a hasty retreat after running up a quintuple-bogey 10 at the 542-yard 11th en route to a 77.

England's Gary Birch, who turned professional only two weeks ago, could hardly have anticipated a worse debut when carding a wretched nine at the long seventh on the way to a 75. Australian Brett Rumford, also appearing in his first Open, suffered the same indignity at the same hole.

But the large crowds would hardly have noticed these transgressions. Not like the problems of former US Masters champion Fred Couples, which made decidedly tasty television viewing for golfing sadists. They occurred at the 14th where Couples ran up a triple-bogey seven by taking four to escape from a plugged lie in a greenside bunker.

"It was a shame what happened to him," said playing partner, Colin Montgomerie, who had watched his one-time college friend in Houston make an unsuccessful first escape attempt by inverting the blade of the sandwedge and hitting a shot left handed. Then came three further orthodox blows before the ball emerged to within 18 inches of the pin.

Darren Clarke became a willing spokesman for Furyk. "I suppose you want to know what a 10 felt like from someone who took one during the Spanish Open last April," said the Tyroneman. Clarke then described how Furyk had taken on the cavernous bunker on the left and only barely cleared it, leaving him with an unplayable lie on the side of a bank.

After a penalty drop, he hit a five iron in a small bunker further up the left. Then, in attempting to escape, the ball hit the face of the trap, bounced back and hit the American, who consequently incurred a two-stroke penalty. When the ball was eventually chipped clear, Furyk pitched and two-putted for a 10.

How did he react? "Given how well he had been playing up to then, he took it very well, just like I did in Spain," replied Clarke with a grin. "I was marking his card and he simply turned to me and said 'I had a 10'. Nobody likes to see a man take double figures."

At the 557-yard seventh, with the wind helping from the left, Thomas Bjorn, Andrew Coltart and Fredrik Jacobson all carded eight, largely because of their determination to get home in two. And England's Daren Lee had an eight at the 13th.