Daly seeking divine intervention

Former Open champion John Daly was on Friday looking for more help from the “golfing gods” to get back into contention for the Scandinavian Masters.

Daly, joint second after the first round of the USPGA Championship last week before fading to 32nd, could only manage an opening 72, two over par, to lie eight shots off the pace at Arlandastad.

The two-time major winner carded just two birdies on a course measuring only 6,845 yards – almost 300 less than Southern Hills – and was left to rue some unlucky bounces.

“I just can’t seem to get anything going out there,” said Daly, winner of the 1991 USPGA and 1995 Open Championship.

“If I miss a fairway, it seems like I’m not getting the greatest of breaks, like on the ninth where I’m just a bit off (the fairway) and find myself in a hole under a tree.

“It’s just stuff like that which makes me feel the golfing gods are not on my side right now. This is one of those courses where you think that if the wind is not blowing hard you can eat it up, but with the wind blowing it’s playing tough.

“I’ve been struggling a bit with the driver. I’m not really hitting it that bad but I just can’t seem to find the cut (left to right ball flight) and that got me in trouble.”

Scotland’s Marc Warren also has his work cut out if he is to retain the title he won in Malmo last year.

Playing alongside Daly, the 26-year-old Scot also carded a 72 to finish eight behind the pace set by Australian Scott Strange.

Strange was first reserve and only discovered he had a place in the field while on the bus en route to the course on Thursday morning.

The 30-year-old from Perth was first out at 7.30am local time and only arrived at the course at 7.21am, but sprinted to the 10th tee and promptly started with a birdie.

Four more birdies and a bogey added up to an outward half of 32 and two more birdies coming home saw him establish the course record with a 64, six under par, one shot ahead of Swedish amateur Fredrik Qvicker and England’s Sam Walker.

Strange had not even had time for a practice round because his clubs did not arrive until Wednesday.

“I don’t want to mention which airline mislaid my clubs because I’ve got to fly back with them as well!” he said, adding: “It’s amazing how you can get to the first tee all flustered and play a good round.

“I’m surprised to shoot that score with everything that was going through my mind but I know I’m capable of doing it. I suppose it might be the way forward but I don’t want to go through all that again!”