Tiger shows teeth in sand drama

Tiger Woods finally fell victim to the Old Course’s bunkers today, but he still emerged with the lead in the 134th Open championship.

Woods went all 72 holes of his record eight-shot victory at St Andrews five years ago without tangling with one of the 112 bunkers.

He was not so lucky this time, finding sand on three occasions, but ominously Woods still recorded a six-under-par 66 to claim an early two-shot lead over Luke Donald, Retief Goosen, Peter Lonard and Jose Maria Olazabal.

“I’ve been playing well and I’m just trying to build on that,” said Woods, who went one better than his opening 67 here five years ago.

“Today I got off to a nice start, I hit a couple of bunkers in the back nine which cost me a couple of shots but overall I’m very pleased with six-under.”

Woods had threatened to post the lowest round in major championship history, which currently stands at 63, when he birdied seven holes in a row during the third round of the Masters this year.

And it was a distinct possibility again when he stood seven under par after 12 holes this morning.

But a drive into Coffins bunkers on the 13th cost him a bogey and another shot went when his approach to the 16th plummeted into Wig bunker short of the green.

A two-putt birdie from just short of the 18th green sealed a highly satisfactory opening round however, and the world number one remains a strong favourite to maintain his record of winning every major championship at which Jack Nicklaus has made his last appearance – following this year’s Masters and the US Open and USPGA of 2000.

“That would be special,” added Woods, first and second in the two majors so far this year.

“But I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.”

Nicklaus, playing his last competitive event at the scene of two of his three Open triumphs, opened in style with a birdie three but had four three-putts in a row on the back nine and had to settle for a 75.

“I probably got what I deserved but I’m disappointed overall to shoot 75,” said the 65-year-old.

“I still think I have the opportunity to make the cut but I know I need a good round tomorrow.”

Playing alongside Nicklaus and Watson, Donald joked he was worried about being outplayed when the two legends birdied the first.

But the young Englishman had the last laugh with five birdies and just one bogey in his 68.

“It’s hard to put it into words but it was a real treat,” said Donald.

“They don’t like losing to each other and you could see that on the first when Tom holed a birdie putt from 10ft and Jack followed him straight in.

“I played fabulous, kept it out of trouble and had some fun.”

Defending champion Todd Hamilton birdied the 18th to card a 74 but playing partner Lee Westwood struggled to a 76 after starting with a double-bogey six for the second year in succession, the 32-year-old’s pitch to the opening hole landing in the Swilcan Burn.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke, wearing a fluorescent yellow shirt and red and white striped trousers, moved to one-under after three holes with a 25-foot birdie putt at the third.

However, a 50-foot putt from the right fringe of the fourth green hit the hole but raced five feet past and he missed the return to drop back to level.

At the par-five fifth his approach caught the front of the green and rolled back and he putted 18 feet past the hole and could not make his birdie putt.

Dubliner Peter Lawrie, two groups ahead, carded four straight pars before a birdie four at the fifth took him to one-under.

British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney struggled in his second Open appearance with a six-over round of 78.

Trouble off the second tee cost him a bogey but a superb wedge to three feet at the next brought him back to level par.

However, it went downhill after that with back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth to turn in 38.

He dropped shots at the 12th and 13th before a double-bogey six at the 15th really spoilt his round.

“I’m more disappointed in the way I played than anything. I struggled off the tee. I struggled with everything, although my putting wasn’t too bad,” said the 22-year-old Donegal golfer.

“It’s my swing, I’m not confident with it and I haven’t been playing very well all week.

“I don’t think there’s any chance of me making the cut.”