Miserable start for ill Westwood

Just when he wanted to be at his healthiest, Lee Westwood sounded and looked anything but today – and it showed in his golf.

Westwood, runner-up in the French Open on Sunday after a play-off with Germany’s Martin Kaymer, coughed and spluttered his way to an opening double-bogey six when the Barclays Scottish Open began at Loch Lomond today.

The former European number one, who had his tonsils out after last September’s Ryder Cup because of repeated bouts of illness, was eagerly looking forward to next week’s Open at Turnberry after the way he played in Paris.

But, although his drive down the 455-yard 10th was perfect, his next shot certainly was not. It fell into the hazard short of the green and, after playing partners Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter had inspected where the ball landed, he was forced to play another ball from the fairway.

That six was followed by a bogey four when he missed the green and then a five-foot par attempt – and walking up the hill to the 12th tee, Westwood was holding his chest, breathing hard and not looking a well man at all.

At three over he was already five behind the early leaders – Masters champion Angel Cabrera, Scot Alastair Forsyth, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Irish Open amateur winner Shane Lowry, who last week made his first halfway cut as a professional.

Westwood came back with a birdie on the long 13th, as did Poulter, but McIlroy eagled it and with that leapt into a share of top spot.

Only for a moment, though, as Forsyth, having bogeyed the 10th, birdied four of the next five to lead on his own at three under.

Up to two under along with McIlroy was his 2007 Walker Cup team-mate Danny Willett, whose top-10 finishes the last two weeks have qualified him for the French and Scottish Opens.

Poulter, third on Sunday, also bogeyed the 11th after coming up well short of the green, while McIlroy parred the first three holes.

Jose Maria Olazabal, who on Tuesday failed to come through final qualifying for the Open, had one last chance to make it to Turnberry by finishing in the top five this week and he was off to a good start with a birdie at the 415-yard 12th.

Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo were among the later starters.