Al Pacino may have embedded the importance of inches into the sporting psyche with that famous, and overblown, speech in the film Any Given Sunday but Sean Baldwin must scoff at such generous measurements of length.

American David Oakley made the early running today in the British Seniors’ Open Championship at Royal County Down posting a three-under-par 68 to be four-under for the tournament and is the clubhouse leader.

South African John Bland who has been runner-up three times in the last four years in this £501,000 stg tournament has made a good start again.