Rory thanks dad for turnaround

RORY McILROY thanked his father for keeping him in contention in the Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

After a stuttering start at Kingsbarns, McIlroy came home in 31 for a round of 70, just four shots off the lead.

“Glad I had a good partner in my dad today! He carried me for 11 holes before I eventually removed my head from my ass!! Solid day in the end,” McIlroy tweeted afterwards.

Meanwhile, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has set his sights on lifting another trophy at St Andrews after claiming a share of the first round lead.

The Championship is run over three courses — St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

Oosthuizen won his first major title at the Home of Golf in 2010, but was prevented from returning to the scene of his greatest triumph a few months later after tearing ligaments in his left ankle in a hunting accident.

That also meant his brother Rikus missed out on the chance to play in the pro-am event staged at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and St Andrews, but Oosthuizen made amends yesterday with an opening 66, six under par.

“I couldn’t watch this event last year on TV, I was too upset I wasn’t there,” Oosthuizen said after finishing alongside Austria’s Markus Brier, Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Ireland’s Michael Hoey at the top of the leaderboard. Ireland’s Graeme McDowell shot a 67 to be one of six players a shot off the pace on five under.

The 32-year-old has had an indifferent season but revealed he had turned to former coach Clive Tucker in an attempt to rediscover his golf.

“At the US PGA Championship things came to a head,” McDowell said. “Myself and my caddie had to have a bit of a heart-to-heart as to what we were doing and what we needed to change.

“It was a bit of soul-searching and Clive was the answer, a guy that understands my game very well and was probably a lot to answer for why I played well in 2010.”

On a crowded leaderboard, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, defending champion Martin Kaymer, world number two Lee Westwood and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie were all just two off the lead after rounds of 68.