Third hole tests early starters

The 174-yard third hole at Mount Juliet was proving a little beast in the second round of the American Express world championship today.

American star Davis Love, South African Darren Fichardt and South Korean Yong-eun Yang all had double bogey fives in the first hour’s play on a wet and windy morning in County Kilkenny.

With leaders out last, Love’s opening two over par 74 meant he was among the early starters and, after grabbing a birdie at the second, he fell back to three over.

Fichardt bogeyed the second before coming a cropper on the next and, even though he then birdied the fifth and seventh, he was five over and next-to-last. Only Japan’s Shingo Katayama at eight over was beneath him at eight over.

Yang hit back with an eagle on the long fifth to be three over, but that was nine adrift of Open champion Todd Hamilton, who led by one from three of Europe’s Ryder Cup team – Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez - American Steve Flesch and Australians Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby.