Harrington rues missed opportunity

Pádraig Harrington was kicking himself for being too tentative after beginning his Open challenge with a level-par 70 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The two-time Open champion, fourth favourite with many bookmakers to add to his three majors this week, will start today’s second round not out of contention but six shots behind overnight leader Adam Scott after a round of four bogeys and four birdies which ended with a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four 18th.

Ordinarily the Dubliner would be satisfied with that as an opening score but he felt the relatively benign conditions yesterday made for more aggressive play on the links course.

“I didn’t really put myself in much trouble all day. So, yeah, I think the 70 reflects how I played,” Harrington said. “But I definitely could play a little bit better if I got out of my own way.

“Certainly I would have overestimated, you would think I would know better. I thought in the calmer weather, the pin positions were very generous. You could go at most of the pins.

“I think if you asked me on a Wednesday would I take level par on the first round of a major, I would say, ‘yeah, definitely’. But the pins were a little easier than level par and it’s reflected in the scoring.

“It seemed all reasonably solid. The only thing I would be looking for between now and tomorrow is a bit more getting my head in the right place, just a little bit more trust.”

British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar was left to rue a triple-bogey seven at the sixth hole as the point at which his debut round at The Open unravelled. The Portrush amateur signed for a five-over 75 at Lytham and said: “I got off to a great start with five pars and at the sixth I made a terrible swing off the tee and got a lucky break in the rough and hit it in the fairway bunker and probably hit too much club with the second shot.

“It plugged and I had a swipe at it and left it in. After starting so well, to get a kick in the teeth like that didn’t help my confidence.”

The 22-year-old “got lucky” and saved par at the seventh before getting to the turn with a couple of birdies but there was more trouble ahead and it came at the par-five 11th. “Terrible swing, lost a ball right off the tee,” he said of his double bogey there which was emulated at the 15th having found the middle of the fairway off the tee.

“I pulled my second from the fairway left with a five iron, had a bad lie and thinned it across the green into a bunker and had to play away from the flag and made a double.

“Maybe I was a bit defensive but I had no confidence off the tee at all and struggled. To get round in five over with a triple and two doubles, I don’t know how I managed it.”

Dunbar sought to get his swing back in shape on the Royal Lytham practice range yesterday afternoon and remained in good spirits for today’s second round.

“The cut? I need to shoot a good score tomorrow but I am hitting enough good shots and my short game is good and I am putting well. There is no reason why I can’t shoot a good score tomorrow.”

A birdie at the last was scant consolation for Michael Hoey as the four-time European Tour winner from Antrim racked up a first-round 79, nine over par.

“You can’t hit the ball sideways and get round here,” Hoey said of a round that featured two double bogeys, and six bogeys in addition to the final birdie.

“I have been struggling with my swing for a long time. I was terrible off the tee. I played quite well the first few holes and went way left on the sixth into a bush and that was double.

“You can’t play major tournaments with deep bunkers if you’re not in control. It’s not being negative, but if you’re not in control, you’re almost wasting your time.”

Resigned to missing the halfway cut, Hoey intends to play stress-free golf today.

“I’ll just try to enjoy it,” he said. “Obviously the tournament is over for me, really, unless I shoot eight under, so I’ve got zero pressure.”