St Andrews Diary

McElhinney bags bestWith so many blind tee shots on the Old Course, the role of a caddie is probably more important here than anywhere else.

As Jim Furyk quipped, "I've walked on to tee boxes before my caddie gets there, turned 320 degrees and had no clue. My caddie gets there and says, 'hit it over that bush'." So, it's not surprising that British amateur champion Brian McElhinney has decided to use a bagman intimately familiar with the nuances of the links in this his second appearance in the major.

In McElhinney's case, however, it will be a recognisable face on his bag as his caddie James McHugh is also a native of Buncrana and played his golf at North West. McHugh now lives in the university town and caddies twice a day at the Old Course.

For 22-year-old McElhinney, this is another step on a quick learning curve. Next month, he makes his Walker Cup debut and he also has the US Masters next April to look forward to before making the likely transition into the professional ranks.

"It's fabulous being here," remarked the Donegal man, standing on the range watching Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara go through their routines. "It makes you realise what you have to do when you become one of the best players in the world."

His expectations? "I'll certainly give it my best shot, and that's all I can do. I've earned the right to be here. It's going to be a great experience for me."

Silence for bomb victims

Play in today's first round of the championship will stop at noon to observe a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives and were injured in last week's London bombings.

Close call for O'Hair

If it weren't for some high-powered connections between the sponsors of his maiden win on the US Tour last week - in the John Deere Classic - and the White House, Sean O'Hair may not have been able to take up his invite to play in the British Open.

O'Hair was the last player to check in yesterday, but it was a close call. Informed on Sunday evening that his win in the John Deere entitled him to a place in the Open, O'Hair realised his passport was out of date. "Monday was my birthday and I spent all day on the phone screaming at people. I had no accommodation, no passport, no flight, nothing at all," he said.

"Fortunately the people at John Deere had some really good connections in the White House and somehow they got me a passport." He finally got the passport into his hands on Tuesday afternoon, caught a flight from Newark on Tuesday night and touched down in Scotland yesterday morning.

"I don't know how I'm going to play, I'm running low on energy and I really don't know the course," he added.

McGinley has game plan

Paul McGinley is a traditionalist, and expects to have a belly full of butterflies once he stands on the first tee. "The Open is the best tournament in the world, and it is even better when it is at St Andrews," said the Dubliner. "I'm sure I'll have some butterflies but the real butterflies will come when I get into contention and that is where I want to be this week. It's a bit like the Ryder Cup because when you get into contention and the adrenalin starts flowing, that is where you want to be."

To do so, McGinley knows he has to rediscover the form that saw him contend at Wentworth in the BMW Championship in May. "There's no doubt about it, I haven't played well the last two or three tournaments and I need to find some form. You can have the best game plan in the world but if you don't produce the shots, you're not going to do any good. I have a good game plan, now I have to produce the shots."

Toughest Major holes

(in last five years)

Event Venue Hole Par Ave

2000 British Open St Andrews 17th 4 4.71

2003 US Open Bethpage 15th 4 4.60

2003 British Open Sandwich 8th 4 4.58

2000 US Open Pebble Beach 9th 4 4.56

2003 US PGA Oak Hill 17th 4 4.55