The Open leaderboard http://www.theopen.com/Leaderboard#!/traditional
For all the Americans, especially the likes of Steven Sands who is part of the broadcast team this early morning (est) on the Golf Channel, every day in Scotland does not dawn in a howling gale and a driving rain !
It is a gorgeous morning on the Ayrshire course, sunny, warm, little breeze but nothing significant and as I look at the leaderboard only 12 players from the morning wave are over par, that is how easy the course is playing.
The early players were all taking long irons off the tee, an unless they found a bunker like Monty did on his way to a 6 on the first, they were all putting for birdies.
Remember as I said yesterday, the front nine is for scoring, downwind with 2 par 5's and so far Patrick Reed played them the best at -5 31.
Later in the morning when the big boys came out, they started trying to drive the greens on the short par 4's, in fact Bubba, playing with Rory and Hideki Matsuyama nearly holed his tee shot on the par 4 third, in fact the caddie on the group ahead actually tended the pin for him. Alas Bubba missed the 5 footer for eagle.
However even without the wind the back nine is much tougher, for example Monty went out in 33 -3 and is finished with E 71 with bogey's at 11, 14 and the par 5 16th. By the way Monty and his group were around in 4 hours.
The tide is in, the beach is full of locals walking their dogs, many of the dogs cavorting in the Firth of Clyde... the field like the dogs are taking full advantage of these benign conditions..
Bryan Angus
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