Woosnam disqualified

Ian Woosnam, only three shots off the lead with a hole to play, was disqualified on the opening day of the Linde German Masters today.

The former world number one failed to complete the 469-yard ninth after hitting into a lake and seeing his next ball roll into the water as he was standing by it.

Woosnam then made two attempts to get the submerged ball back onto dry land, but when the second of them failed he told caddie Martin Rowley: “That’s it. Let’s go in.”

He was already on his way back to his hotel and presumably then the airport when the announcement of his disqualification was made.

The Welsh star had been two under par after 16 holes, but bogeyed the next to fall three behind England’s Greg Owen and Australian left-hander Richard Green.

Owen, who missed much of the summer following back surgery, set the clubhouse target with a 68, while Green still had five holes to play.

Eight of next week’s Ryder Cup side are competing in the £2million tournament and going best of the early starters was Paul Casey, one behind with two to play and joint third alongside Jose Maria Olazabal, Graeme McDowell and David Geall.

McDowell had been five under after eight, but like Casey had a double-bogey six on the 456-yard 18th.

He went in the lake there, whereas Casey chopped out of the rough and went over the green with his third.

Casey’s playing partner Darren Clarke, who missed yesterday’s pro-am with a sore wrist, had taken off the strapping this morning, but turned in 37 and was struggling at two over until he birdied the fifth and seventh.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, first and second the last two weeks and advised to rest by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia, might have wished he had following a three-over 75 – he might have the weekend off now, of course – while Ian Poulter was two over with three to go after three successive bogeys.

Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Thomas Levet were not teeing off until the afternoon, as was Open champion Todd Hamilton in his first appearance in Europe since his Troon triumph.