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CORK, June 28: Former European number one Lee Westwood emerged from 18 months of gloom on Thursday to shoot a 67 and lie only one stroke off the five-way Irish Open lead at Fota Island.
Westwood’s four-under-par round with six birdies took him within a shot of British rookie Nick Dougherty, Sweden’s former Ryder Cup player Joakim Haeggman, American Fred Funk, Australian Peter O’Malley and Eduardo Romero of Argentina, who rounded off with his third eagle of the day.
Only a bogey on the last, when Westwood was disturbed by a mobile phone in the crowd during club selection before missing the green, prevented the 2000 order of merit winner making it a six-way tie.
Dougherty, 20, also works with Cowen. He is the protege of six times major winner Nick Faldo and he plans to emulate the successful swing change made by Faldo in 1985.
Haeggman, Sweden’s first Ryder Cup player in 1993, is trying to emerge from an even greater slump than Westwood, having had little success since winning the 1997 Scandinavian Masters.
O’Malley is looking to celebrate his fourth European Tour success, 10 years after his first when in 1992 his remarkable seven-under-par run over the last five holes at Gleneagles earned him the Scottish Open title.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
66 Joakim Haeggman, Nick Dougherty, Peter O’Malley, Eduardo Romero, Fred Funk
67 Gordon Brand Jnr, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Carl Pettersson, Des Smyth
68 Jonathan Lomas, Malcolm Mackenzie, David Gilford, Stuart Little, Steen Tinning, Mark McNulty, Ignacio Garrido, Miguel Angel Martin, Richard Johnson, Andrew Marshall, Carl Suneson
69 Alex Cejka, Ricardo Gonzalez, Diego Borrego, Peter Fowler, Stephen Dodd, Paul Casey, Eamonn Darcy, Mark James, Andrew Butterfield, Steve Webster, Richard Bland, Markus Brier, Didier De Vooght, Russell Claydon, Gary Evans, Mark Pilkington, Barry Lane, Patrik Sjoland, David Higgins, Soren Kjeldsen, Soren Hansen
TWO SHARE LEAD
MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Glen Hnatiuk of Canada and Tim Petrovic shot six-under-par 65s on Thursday to share a one-shot lead after the first round of the rain-affected St. Jude Classic.
Following a weather delay lasting over two hours, play was officially suspended for the day due to darkness with 78 players still out on the course.
The players will return to the course at 7.15 a.m. (1215 GMT) on Friday to complete their opening 18 holes.
Hnatiuk and Petrovic are being pursued by a group of five players made up of Matt Kuchar, Justin Leonard, Garrett Willis, Notah Begay III and David Howser, who shot five-under-par 66s.
Jay Haas is also on five-under but still had two holes to complete when play was called.
Deane Pappas, Steve Pate and Doug Barron are two shots off the lead following four-under 67s.
First round scores
Note: Play was suspended due to darkness with 78 players still on the course.
65 Glen Hnatiuk, Tim Petrovic
66 Matt Kuchar, Justin Leonard, Garrett Willis, Notah Begay III, David Howser
67 Deane Pappas Doug Barron, Steve Pate
68 Paul Stankowski, Nick Price, David Toms, Spike McRoy, Bob May, Sean Murphy, Bob Heintz.—Reuters
