Woods form looks ominous

Same course, same golfer, same story. Tiger Woods is the man to beat at the Open championship at St Andrews.

Winner by a massive eight strokes with a record 19-under-par score five years ago, the scary thought for his rivals now is that the world number one is ahead of that pace after an eight-birdie 66 today.

And his position is better at this stage too. Having come from one behind Ernie Els in 2000 to dominate proceedings, this time he is already ahead – by one from Australian Mark Hensby.

If the chasing pack need some encouragement, though, it is this. Woods did not go in a single bunker for his first Open victory, but he was in three on his return to the home of golf.

Going in the giant Shell trap on the downwind 390-yard seventh did not prove costly, the 29-year-old American recovering to four feet for a three.

But after following that with four more in a row from the ninth to race into a three-stroke lead Woods did give the chasing pack hope for the next three days by visiting the Coffins at the 13th and Wig on the 16th and bogeying both.

The day was completed with another birdie putt, though, and Woods was not surprisingly a happy man afterwards.

Not simply pleased with his work, but thankful he had his mother watching as he did it.

Woods revealed she was in a London hotel and close to the bomb area last Thursday. He thought of her when the Open observed the national two-minute silence at noon.

“I was very thankful that my Mum is still here,” he said. “It very easily could have been pretty tragic for me personally.

“I can only imagine what everyone else who was involved, where they lost a loved one or had loved ones hurt, what they might have been going through.”

As for how he is playing Woods, first and second in the first two majors this year, added: “It was a different wind today, but I still feel very comfortable out there.”

The odds on him winning again were slashed to an incredible Even money for a while, but late in the day Hensby, who turned down the chance to play last year, had chances on the last two greens to go past him, but could not take either of them.

At least the 34-year-old, an impressive fifth and third in the majors so far this year against Woods’ first and second, did not fall back like Steve Webster and Sergio Garcia.

Webster eagled the long fifth and then chipped in for another at the 352-yard ninth to turn in a six-under 30 and shared top spot.

It did not last, though. The 29-year-old from Warwickshire fell away by bogeying the 10th and 11th, double-bogeying the 13th and dropping another shot at the 16th for only a 71.

Garcia got to five under, but bogeyed three of the last six for 70.

No such stumble from Luke Donald. He joined the large band of players on 68, did not drop a stroke or go in a bunker and is still thinking not only of making his first halfway cut in six attempts in the Open, but challenging come Sunday.

Still being around by then looks a tall order for playing partner Jack Nicklaus now. After a dream birdie start to the final major of his career the 65-year-old Golden Bear could do no better than 75.

Get set then to say your farewells in the second round rather than the fourth.

Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie would have liked Nicklaus’ opening three. Westwood, fourth last year, pitched into the Swilcan Burn and double-bogeyed en route to a 76, while Montgomerie drove into it for the first time in his life. But he did at least come back from the resultant bogey for a 71.

Ernie Els, the only player ahead of Woods after the opening round in 2000 and eventually a distant second with Thomas Bjorn, got nowhere near him this time.

After two birdies in the first four the South African, runner-up to Todd Hamilton after a play-off at Troon last year, dropped eight behind Woods with a 74, the same as Phil Mickelson, who triple-bogeyed the 15th.

But world number two Vijay Singh fared a lot better with 69, a score matched by Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and English qualifier Simon Khan.

Others in on four under were Retief Goosen – desperate to show a closing 81 at the US Open last month has done no long-term damage – Scottish amateur Eric Ramsay with one of the rounds of his life, Jose Maria Olazabal, little-known German Tino Schuster, Australian Peter Lonard, South African Trevor Immelman and Americans Scott Verplank and Chris Riley.