Delays dominate early action at Hoylake

It was a story of delays on the first morning of the 135th Open championship at Hoylake today.

After heavy rain overnight, the lingering threat of further thunderstorms in the area forced organisers to put back the start of play to 7am.

A food lorry then became stuck in the mud to the side of the second fairway and had to be removed by a JCB after a forklift truck was unable to shift it.

And the star grouping of Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Fred Couples were quickly told they were being timed by rules officials after falling too far behind the group in front.

The lorry had been heading for the hospitality area when it became a victim of the overnight rain, said driver Tim Kalayci. “I was trying to be a good Samaritan and got off the tarmac to let another vehicle past – big mistake," he said.

The lorry was treated by rules officials as a “temporary immovable obstruction,” allowing players hindered by it to a free drop.

The recovery operation was briefly halted while Korea’s SK Ho played his second shot from nearby, but it had no ill effects as he went on to make the first of three early birdies to top the leaderboard.

On three under par Ho was one ahead of former champion Mark Calcavecchia, Australian Marcus Fraser and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.

Garcia and Casey had both birdied the opening hole but after walking off the third tee were told by a referee they were on the clock after falling two minutes out of position.

Casey went on to bogey the hole to drop back to level par, but it was Couples who complained to the official on the fifth tee, his humour not improved by finding a gorse bush with his tee shot and taking a penalty drop.

At least the former Masters champion, who went on to save par, was able to play after missing last week’s Scottish Open with a back injury.

That was bad news for Jesper Parnevik however, who had flown in yesterday as first reserve and was facing a long wait beside the first tee for any withdrawals.

Ernie Els was alongside Garcia on one under after recovery from a bogey on the first with birdies on the next two holes and Vijay Singh was quickly into red figures as well with a birdie on the second.

Wales’ Bradley Dredge had recorded the first eagle of the tournament on the fifth to get back to level par, but Australian Mark Hensby proved Hoylake was not defenceless with a triple-bogey seven on the third.