Golf: British Open

Tiger Woods looked like a weekend hacker on the first hole of the British Open while Masters champion Mike Weir struggled to a 3-over-par 74 in the first round Thursday.

Trying to snap a four-major losing streak, Woods lost his ball on his very first shot at damp, windy Royal St. George's. He wound up taking a triple-bogey 7, already facing a big deficit in a tournament that had barely started.

South African Hennie Otto was the surprise leader in the clubhouse, shooting a 3-under-par 68 in the first group of the day.

Greg Norman, returning to the site of his 1993 British Open victory, was 3-under through 14 holes.

Weir, from Bright's Grove, Ont., bogeyed the first two holes of the day before getting that back with an eagle-3 on the par-5, 532-yard No. 7 hole. But three more bogeys at No. 8, No. 11 and No. 17 left him with a 74.

All eyes were on Woods, lacking a major title for the first time since 1999. If the first hole was any indication, that streak will remain intact.

Woods pushed his opening tee shot into the ankle-deep rough along the right side of the fairway. Even though about 20 people scoured the grass in search of the ball, it never turned up during the five-minute search allowed under the rules.

When the time limit expired, Woods pulled his driver out of the bag again, unleashed an expletive and hopped in a cart for the long, lonely ride back to the tee.

His next shot -- actually, his third after taking a one-stroke penalty -- wasn't much better, sailing into the same rough where marshals were still looking for the first ball.

This time, Woods didn't have any trouble locating the ball, but all he could do was hack it through the fairway, winding up near some television cables left of the fairway.

Woods finally reached the green with a wedge, but an 18-foot putt came up short. He tapped in for a triple-bogey are walked off the green muttering to himself.

Woods managed to settle himself, rolling in a six-footer for birdie at No. 4. He was 2-over through 12 holes.

Ernie Els, hoping to become the first repeat winner at the British in 20 years, was scheduled to tee off in the afternoon. He'll find conditions more customary for this event -- overnight rains softened the grass, which baked under a sweltering sun earlier in the week.

Norman certainly feels comfortable at Royal St. George's, where he captured the British a decade ago by shooting a final-round 64. The 48-year-old Shark hasn't won a tournament since 1998, and back problems have limited him to just two PGA Tour events this year.
But he was feeling no pain as play began Thursday, making an eagle at No. 4 to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

Hennie Otto, South Africa 35-33--68
Davis Love III, United States 34-35--69
S.K. Ho, South Korea 36-34--70
Gary Evans, England 37-34--71
Tom Watson, United States 34-37--71
Fred Couples, United States 34-37--71
Charles Howell III, United States 36-35--71
Jesper Parnevik, Sweden 34-38--72
Katsuyoshi Tomori, Japan 37-35--72
Mark O'Meara, United States 38-35--73
Robert Allenby, Australia 36-37--73
Sandy Lyle, Scotland 37-36--73
David Lynn, England 39-34--73
Steve Flesch, United States 38-35--73
Peter Lonard, Australia 37-36--73
Stephen Leaney, Australia 37-37--74
Phillip Price, Wales 38-36--74
Mike Weir, Canada 37-37--74
a-Gary Wolstenholme, England 37-37--74
Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland 36-39--75
Fred Funk, United States 37-38--75
Angel Cabrera, Argentina 36-39--75
Stewart Cink, United States 40-35--75
Shingo Katayama, Japan 38-38--76
Duffy Waldorf, United States 39-37--76
Hal Sutton, United States 39-37--76
Christopher Smith, England 38-39--77
Gary Emerson, England 41-36--77
Peter O'Malley, Australia 40-38--78
Iain Pyman, England 42-39--81

Good i wondered what the scores was...

Els is playing well and has a good chance...

BTW i already posted a Golf..The Open 2003 thread but it doesnt matter we will post in this one...!!

Mark Roe will watch somebody lift the Open claret jug on television on Sunday night and think to himself that it could have been him.

It is a thought that will stay with him the rest of his life too.

In one of the biggest sporting disappointments for years Roe, right in the thick of things at Sandwich after a brilliant third-round 67, was disqualified along with playing partner Jesper Parnevik.

Lying joint fourth at the time and blowing kisses to his wife and twin daughters, Roe's week was turned upside down when Parnevik told him after one of countless television interviews that there was a problem.

The two players had forgotten to exchange their scorecards on the first tee - Roe joking later as he put a remarkably brave face on the situation that he was distracted by the Swede's bright blue trousers.

That would not have mattered had the scoring officials after the round had spotted it or if they had reminded the two players to check.

But they did not and although Roe wished that they had and Parnevik felt "gutted" they both admitted: "Ultimately it's our responsibility and rules are rules."