Open diary

PHIL MICKELSON is trumping everyone here at Hoylake as top man for practice.

Mickelson took two hours to play the first three holes on Monday and then spent an hour on the 18th green. But according to one marshal on the third, the world number two has already cooked his goose. “He’ll never win it now. He’s thought about it too much.”

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THE Wirral area is hoping for an economic boost as a result of the tournament. An impact study carried out after the last Open at St Andrews found the event was worth £95m to the local area.

About £55m of that was spent in Fife by people attending the golf, which would be a “wonderful boost” for the Wirral economy, said Kevin Adderly of the local council.

But it is the worldwide television and press exposure the Open brings that could prove particularly lucrative in the long-term. About 200 million homes across the world will watch the event on television which the study suggests is equivalent to about £40m of free advertising.

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WHO would have predicted that South Korea’s SK Ho, Finn Mikko Ilonen and John Senden of Australia would very probably be the day’s best three-ball? Ho, playing in his fourth Open, and Ilonen, who won the British Amateur here in 2000, were tied for the early clubhouse lead on four under, while Senden, who won in the US on Sunday to clinch his Hoylake berth, carded a two-under 70.

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COLIN Montgomerie — veteran of seven Ryder Cups but only good at six.

An unknown radio reporter turned up yesterday for an interview with Montgomerie.

Hack: “So, Colin, you played well in six Ryder Cups.”

Monty: “Er, I’ve played in seven.”

Hack: “Yes, but you only played well in six.”

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MORE journalistic embarrassment: one scribe who shall remain nameless asked Tiger Woods for some advice for the French amateur he would be playing with in the first two rounds.

Woods: “I’m not playing with him.” (He is paired with Nick Faldo and Shingo Katayama).

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MANY hold David Howell up as one of the nicest men in golf, but the European Order of Merit leader has been out-Howelling himself this week.

On the eve of the tournament, as the sun dipped behind the stands, Howell completed his final putting practice on the clubhouse green, signed a few autographs and then made to leave. Howell was urged back time and time again as more people asked him to sign their possessions.

“Oh dear, I’ve started something now,” said the smiling Englishman, pleading to be let off for dinner.

Sergio Garcia provided some competition, having spent a good five minutes helping a group of middle-aged American ladies fix their broken camera so they could pose for a photo with him. Fair dues.

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ANTHONY Wall's second shot at the 16th got the shot of the day.

Wall, who had already recorded an eagle on the 10th, hit a superb five iron from 225 yards for his second shot to the 554-yard par five. The ball pitched on the front of the green and rolled up to within inches of the hole for a tap-in eagle which helped the Londoner to card an opening 67, five under.

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NORWAY'S Marius Thorp leads the race for the silver medal awarded to the leading amateur. Thorp, who qualified for Hoylake by winning the European amateur title last year, carded an excellent first round of 71, despite two double bogeys. The 18-year-old is one ahead of France’s Julien Guerrier.