News
You are looking at: Home : News

Open 09 Day 1: Old guard take glory

Jimenez and Watson lead the way


Posted: 16 July 2009
by Golfmagic correspondent

Open golf 09
Big galleries followed Tiger Woods

On a day so unusually benign, even the smoke from his trademark cigar drifted vertically, ageing Spanish matador Miguel Angel Jimenez took full advantage of the conditions to take a one stroke lead into day two of the open Championship at Turnberry.

open golf 09
Jimenez enjoys his moment of glory

He rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt at the final hole for a six-under par 64 to lead fellow veteran Tom Watson and 2003 champion Ben Curtis by one stroke.

Even the Jimenez pony-tail didn't get ruffled as he birdied the final two holes in a bogey-free round that left the great and the good trailing in his wake.

For 59-year-old Watson, a five-time winner of the claret jug, watching in the hotel room that bears his name, he surely couldn't resist a smile that a fellow oldie had trumped him - at least for one day - and he'd still topped Tiger Woods (71) by six strokes.

Watson revealed later that he had been inspired by Barbara Nicklaus, wife of Jack, with whom he'd fought out the 'Duel in the Sun' on this course 32 years ago, who had sent him a text wishing him luck.

“Not a bad round for an almost 60-year-old,” said Watson, who turns 60 in September.

Watson's game plan was to keep the ball in the fairway with a series of arrow-straight tee shots. He then rolled in five birdies and and a six-footer for par at the final hole to preserve his bogey-free round.

open golf 09
Steve Surry lies joint 20th

“I think there was some spirituality out there today,” said Watson. “The serenity of it was pretty neat.”

Curtis started shakily but overhauled a pair of early bogeys with an eagle at the par-five 7th and birdies on four of his last six holes.

Tiger Woods never looked happy with his game and despite three birdies toiled home with four bogeys on his card ,including an untidy five at 16 where he dumped his ball in the burn beside the green.

But for Jimenez (45) the conditions played into his cultured hands. There's no better ball-striker with a 3- or 5-wood, while his short game and putting are admired worldwide.

Although it was a day for nostalgia, among those high in the chasing pack are young guns including John Senden and Camilo Villegas.

Steve Surry, son of Golfmagic.com member Mary Surry, closed with a battling one under par 70 for a share of 20th place.


Previous article Previous article:
Inside the Open - with Mizuno
Next article:Next article
Open Golf analysis

TwitterStumbleUponFacebookDiggRedditGoogle

Discuss this story

We'd love you to add a comment! Please take half a minute to register as a free member

Become a member and join in the forum!
Calendar

Track your game

Free golf score and handicap tracker. Record your stats,
analyse your round,
improve your game!
Click here
Calendar