Rain welcomes early starters

Showers greeted the early starters in the second round of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry today.

In contrast to the perfect conditions of the opening day, rain was forecast on the Ayrshire coast throughout the day, making life difficult for those players who failed to make the most of Thursday’s benign weather.

The rain did at least make for soft greens to allow players to attack the pin, and four of the first nine players on the course this morning birdied the short par-four first.

None were about to threaten the lead held by Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez however, the 45-year-old equalling the lowest first round in Open Championship history with his 64 yesterday.

At six under par, Jimenez led by one from 59-year-old five-time winner Tom Watson, 2003 champion Ben Curtis and Japan’s Kenichi Kuboya, who finished his first round shortly before 9pm last night with a run of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie.

After five holes Damien McGrane has dropped a shot to stand at nine over for the tournament.