Hours of putting practice pays off for O’Hara

HOURS spent in his bedroom last week practising his putting and watching the Masters at the same time paid handsome dividends for Scot Steven O’Hara yesterday.

The 24-year-old, a team-mate of Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell in the 2001 Walker Cup win in America, took a share of the first round lead in the Jazztel Spanish Open at windy San Roque.

A two-under-par 70 was good enough to put O’Hara alongside Swedes Peter Gustafsson and Peter Hanson, Italian Emanuele Canonica and Spaniards Santiago Luna, Diego Borrego and the 49-year-old, Jose Rivero.