Els still can't get back on track

Fredrik Jacobson’s amazing run finally came to an end this morning as Ernie Els attempted to get his Open defence back on track at Royal St George’s.

Jacobson was one of only five players to break par in the first round on the windswept Kent coast yesterday as the likes of Els saw their hopes blown off course.

Even more impressively, the Swede was the only player not to record a single bogey in his opening 70, despite playing in the worst of the conditions in the afternoon.

That proud record remained intact for another 11 holes today before he finally succumbed to the demands of possibly the most testing course on the Open rota.

His drive on the par-four 12th found a fairway bunker and from close to the back edge he was unable to reach the green, then chipping to 10 feet and failing to hole the putt.

It was still a superb performance from Jacobson who had been a total of 48 over par from four previous appearances in the Open, making just one halfway cut at his first attempt at Birkdale in 1998.

He has been nothing short of a revelation this season, winning twice on the European Tour and finishing fifth on his US Open debut last month, also adding two other top 10s in three starts on the US Tour.

He started with six straight pars, having to hole from six feet for par on the fourth after finding sand off the tee, and from similar range on the sixth after charging his birdie putt past the hole.

There was no need for such aggression on the next when he chipped to four feet on the par five and holed for birdie, and he saved par on the next two holes by single-putting from 10 feet.

Els meanwhile had extended his own unwanted sequence to 19 holes without a birdie following his seven-over-par 78 on Thursday.

The world number two played a well-judged approach from the light rough to 14 feet from the flag on the first, but the birdie putt never threatened the hole and he had to settle for par.

The 33-year-old eventually broke his duck on the second, holing from 20 feet, and after missing from just six feet on the next, two-putted for birdie on the fourth to improve to five over par, right on the early cut prediction.

That was no longer much of a concern for England’s Justin Rose however, the 22-year-old starting double-bogey, bogey and at 12 over par heading for an early exit.

Jacobson was playing alongside Korea’s KJ Choi in a two-ball after Steve Elkington became the fourth player to withdraw from the championship.

Elkington, who lost in a four-man play-off for the title at Muirfield 12 months ago, pulled out with a shoulder injury before the start of this morning’s second round.

The Australian had carded an opening 86, 15 over par, which included a quadruple bogey nine on the par five 15th.

With playing partner Colin Montgomerie also withdrawing after seven holes yesterday, it would have left American Brad Faxon playing on his own, but former champion Mark Calcavecchia was moved from the previous group to partner his compatriot.