The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Casey, Levet share lead after Els stumbles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 16, 2004

Sport

Sport - Golf

Casey, Levet share lead after Els stumbles

TROON, JULY 15. British Open favourite Ernie Els charged into an early lead at Royal Troon before slipping back with a late double-bogey in the first round on Thursday.

The South African had to settle for a two-under-par 69 in bright, calm conditions after needing two shots to escape from a bunker on the 17th green.

That left him three behind co-leaders Paul Casey of Britain and Frenchman Thomas Levet, who shot 66s well before Tiger Woods kick-started his own round with a birdie at the second.

Englishman Casey, 26, reeled off seven birdies and two bogeys to set the early pace before being caught by Levet, who qualified for the Open championship by winning last week's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

India's Jyoti Randhawa had a two-over-par 73, while compatriot Arjun Atwal had a round of 74.

World number two Els, looking to lift the Claret Jug for the second time, had moved to four under with three holes to play after mixing two birdies with a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.

Champion at Muirfeld in 2002, he picked up his first shot at the par-five fourth before achieving his ace with a wedge at the famed Postage Stamp, the shortest hole on the British Open rota at 123 yards.

He then rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-four 11th before bunkering his tee shot at the par-three 17th on the way to a double-bogey five. "I don't feel good after that," the three-times major winner said. "I had a pretty nice round going and then pulled a five-iron left off the tee".

"I had a bit of a downhill lie in that bunker but it wasn't the most difficult lie I've had in my life. I just messed it up. It's not a bad start, though. Anything under 70 in a major championship is a pretty good score."

Tied for third in the clubhouse on 68 were Briton Gary Evans, South Korea's K.J. Choi and Swede Carl Pettersson. — Agencies

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