"Today wasn't links golf at Royal Lytham and St Annes " said the 1974 champion Gary Player during a brief stint in the broadcast booth today and of course he was spot on.
This course is a challenging test especially with the changes which have lengthened it, turned a 5 into a 4, added strategic bunkers in the fairways, and of course the rough is simply penal.
However with dead calm conditions in the morning, just a little breeze as the tide came in, then dead calm again as the lates came in, Lytham was vulnerable today.
Even with a bogey at 18, Adam Scott set the course record with his -6 64 early and it stood up all day. Nicholas Colsaerts was the best of the afternoon flight with his -5 67 T2 along with Paul Lawrie and Zach Johnson, both out early.
The group T5 at -3 68 include Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods who was very steady, under control and leads the field in fairways in regulation, which as it turned out was really the key today on this heavily bunkered tight course. Any drives finding the lush deep rough are in the laps of the golfing gods..
Lee Westwood started birdie birdie but struggled in at +3 73. Luke Donald made bogey from the bunker at 18 to end up E 70. Rory made double on 15 but bounced back with birdies at 16 and 18 for his 67.
Phil Mickelson spent much of today in some of Lytham's worst rough, yet with 4 bogey's and a double he made 6 pars in a row coming in for an improbable 73.
Remember Lytham has a real tough last 6 holes, all strong par 4's.
Friday's weather is a carbon copy of today with very little wind, and some rain overnight, in fact the wind doesn't get up til Sunday.
Live scoring click here http://scores.load.theopen.com/en/Leaderboard.aspx
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles and at www.isr1050.com and morning show host at www.nextsportstar.com
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