Thomas Bjorn took sweet revenge on Royal St George’s as the British Open got under way on Thursday, eight years after he blew his best chance of winning golf’s most glittering prize here. The 40-year-old Dane stormed to a five-under-par 65, with seven birdies against two bogeys, to take the early clubhouse lead, as favourite Rory McIlroy struggled to get going before steadying for a one over 71.
Others off to a good start were Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez who signed for a 66, one behind Bjorn, while England’s Simon Dyson came in with a 68 on an overcast, rainy day along the Kent coastline. Bjorn is best known for blowing a three-stroke lead with four to play the last time the Open was held at Sandwich in 2003. Struggling for form of late, he was only sixth reserve for this year’s tournament as recently as last week before a spate of withdrawals, but made the most of his call-up on Monday when Vijay Singh pulled out through injury. Bjorn went out in 33 and then had four birdies in five holes from the 12th before bogeying the last. “I wasn’t really over expecting to play in this championship but there were a lot of pull outs in the last week leading into this,” Bjorn said “There’s no reason to get too uptight. I knew I wasn’t coming in in the greatest of form, so just try and enjoy really being down here and try to use it more to find some form.”
Bjorn later choked back tears when talking about his late father, who died in May. “He would have been very proud of what I did today,” he said. “That’s all I’ve really got to say.” Behind Bjorn, McIlroy’s quest for a rare US/British Open double got off to a troubling start. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland won the US Open by a stunning eight strokes last month to make the move from golfing prodigy to superstar status, and in the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, he is the biggest draw at the 140th Open. McIlroy was watched by a sizeable and admiring gallery as he set off early on in the company of 2002 champion Ernie Els of South Africa and American hope Rickie Fowler. With just a slight breeze blowing, the Ulsterman, seeking to become the youngest winner of the Open since 1893, clobbered his opening drive safely up the fairway of the 444-yard, par four opening hole. But after over-hitting his approach, McIlroy three-putted from just off the back of the green. He then overhit his tee-shot at the long, par-three third and again needed three from the back of the green to drop to two over where he stayed through six. He grabbed his first birdie at the eighth though to reach the turn in one over 36, and then covered the back nine in level par for his 71, six shots of the lead. “On a day like this, I know better than most people, you can shoot a high number and put yourself out of the golf tournament,” he said. “So it was nice to go out and shoot a decent score. “I said yesterday, if the conditions stayed the same I’d take two 70s over the first two days, and if I shoot 69 tomorrow with similar conditions, I’ll be really happy going into the weekend.” It was the first time McIlroy had played competitively since winning in the United States, but he insists he can cope with the spotlight as he attempts to become the first player to win the US and British Opens since Woods in 2000. World No.1 Luke Donald, seeking to provide the first English win in the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 looked on song early on with a birdie at the third.
But with the rain coming on, his dazzling short game seemed to desert him with bogeys at six, 11, 13 and 15 resulting in a one over 71. The 47-year-old Jimenez, whose best Open was a tie for third at Royal Lytham 10 years ago said after his 66 that age was no barrier to him.