McIlroy misfires in tough conditions

REUTERS

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

Lytham, England – Rory McIlroy misfired again at the British Open, nearly hitting a rival caddie on Friday as tricky conditions at Royal Lytham helped prevent an early second-round charge at leader Adam Scott.

World No. 2 McIlroy, the 2011 US Open champion, began with two pars before putting his tee shot into the rough at the third hole. He then pulled his second shot left of the third green and into the adjacent fourth-hole tee box.

McIlroy's errant approach near hit Toru Oda, the caddie of Japan's Toshinori Muto, in the group ahead of McIlroy. A lucky break left the ball on flat ground with only a wisp of tall grass between him and the green below.

The Northern Irish champion chipped his approach to eight feet but missed his par putt for bogey.

McIlroy answered with a 10-foot birdie at the fourth, where he was greeted by a pheasant in the fairway, but another bogey at the sixth left him one-over for the round and two-under for the tournament.

McIlroy's wobbles came a day after he struck a teen spectator in the head with a shot. He wound up picking up the man's hotel room for the night as well as delivering an autographed glove.

Overnight rain dumped nearly half an inch of water on the bunker-strewn links layout, creating soft and receptive greens that prompted organizers to use tougher pin placements and double mow the greens to make putts faster.

Add to that water puddling in several bunkers to force drops and an unusual east wind forcing more adjustments in shot trajectory by players and it was easy to see why the early starters were struggling to make any major moves.

Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, who opened on 65, took bogeys at the second and third holes and a triple-bogey 8 at the seventh to plunge from the leaderboard.

American Rickie Fowler took a triple bogey at the third, offsetting birdies at the second, fourth and fifth after an opening bogey.

American Brandt Snedeker opened with a birdie for the second day in a row to stand on five-under, one adrift of Australia's Scott, who tees off in the afternoon. Snedeker has yet to suffer a bogey after an opening-round 66.

But only a handful of other players were below par for the round among the early starters, including Sweden's Peter Hanson, on four under after a birdie-bogey-birdie beginning to his day, and two-under South African Richard Sterne, who opened with a birdie and added another at the par-3 12th after a bogey at the sixth.

Scott, a 32-year-old Australian seeking his first major title, matched the course record with a six-under par 64 on Thursday to seize the lead but with seven former major champions among the dozen players behind him.

Scotland's Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion hoping to win again and create the longest-ever gap between Open titles, and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson of the United States were also one stroke off the pace.

Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion, reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson, past US Open champion Graeme McDowell and three-time major winner Ernie Els of South Africa were in a group on 67 and starting later. – Sapa-AFP