Landlady luck for O'Malley

Australian Peter O’Malley equalled the Carnoustie course record as he stormed into a share of the lead in the £2.5m (€3.6m) Alfred Dunhill Links championship, and then revealed how his guesthouse landlady helped keep his title bid on track.

On a day when perfect conditions led to a flurry of low scoring, the 42-year-old, a three-time winner on the European circuit, fired a rousing eight-under-par 64 over the Angus links to join South African Hennie Otto and Nick Dougherty of England at the top of the field with an 11-under aggregate of 133.

O’Malley, who has fond memories of Scotland having won the Scottish Open at Gleneagles in 1992, countered one dropped shot with a haul of nine birdies as he equalled the Carnoustie record low held by Colin Montgomerie, Alan Tait, Steve Stricker and fellow Aussie Richard Green.

O’Malley’s day may have ended on a high note, but it almost got off to a disastrous start when he realised he had left his clubs back at his guesthouse.

“I was driving to Carnoustie and I heard something rattling in the car boot,” he explained.

“As soon as I heard that I knew I hadn’t put the clubs in the car. I rang my wife but her phone wasn’t on so I rang the lady at the guest house. She put the clubs in her car and met me halfway at Leuchars Railway station.

“My caddie told me that after the way the day started it had the makings to be a good one and it was.”

Otto, 10th in the 2003 Open at St George’s, joined O’Malley at the top with a five-under 67 at St Andrews while Liverpudlian Dougherty admitted binning the putter that took him to his only European Tour victory so far could help him claim that so far elusive second crown.

The 25-year-old conjured fours birdies and an eagle in a six-under 66 at Carnoustie as his bid to follow up his Caltex Masters triumph in Singapore two years ago gathered pace.

The former Walker Cup player has been knocking on the door of another win this season with two second places and third and he said: “I know I can win another one and I have to relax and let it happen.

“One of the main things that has helped me so far this week is my new putter. I’ve been using the same one since I won in Singapore but I changed it a couple of weeks ago. That has turned things around for me because it’s the difference between shooting a 66 and a 70.”

Ernie Els, the former Open champion, produced a menacing advance up the standings as he posted a five-under 67 at St Andrews for a 10-under 134 and share of fourth with Rafael Echenique, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Anton Haig and Kenneth Ferrie. England’s Steve Webster, the first-round leader and the winner of the silver medal as the top amateur in the 1995 Open at St Andrews, posted a 70 on the Old course for a tie of ninth with India’s Jeev Milka Singh and former Ryder Cup player Thomas Levet, who shot a 65 at Carnoustie.

Open champion Padraig Harrington, the winner of the Dunhill Links title both last year and in 2002, lifted himself into contention again at St Andrews with a six-under 66 for an eight-under 136.

Justin Rose, second behind Harrington in the race for the tour’s order of merit title, carded a 69 at the Old course for a seven-under 137 but the 27-year-old Englishman, who won the St Andrews Links Trophy at the home of golf as an amateur 10 years ago, felt a lack of confidence on the greens had hindered his progress.

“I putted terribly today,” he lamented.

“I had no confidence with the putter which was a shame. Compared to the greens at Carnoustie these were not as true and I couldn’t get the roll. It was a perfect day for scoring and while three-under is acceptable, it’s not great.”