Golfweek - Golf News Magazine

By ROBERT MILLWARD
Associated Press

TROON, Scotland — Four days after nearly making history at the British Open, Greg Norman labored to a 4-over 75 Thursday in the opening round of the Seniors British Open to finish seven shots behind co-leaders Bruce Vaughan and Eduardo Romero.

In sunny conditions at Troon, Norman bogeyed six of the first 10 holes and was 6 over before he finally birdied the par-4 13th. He birdied the final hole with a pitch to 3 feet.

“Things just weren’t going my way early on,” Norman said. “I just had to hang in there and guts it out the best I could. The ball just wasn’t rolling my way.”

The Australian said windy conditions, similar to the British Open, had an impact on his game.

“I got to the first tee and I never played this golf course in this wind before,” Norman said. “I didn’t feel that confident with some of the tee shots.”

The 53-year-old Norman led the British Open at Royal Birkdale with nine holes to play Sunday and appeared on course to become the oldest winner of a major before he finished third behind Padraig Harrington.

While Norman struggled, playing partner Tom Watson made every green and missed only one fairway in a bogey-free 70. Andy Bean, John Cook and Kirk Hanefield and Nick Job were one shot off the leaders.

Vaughan made eight birdies for a 3-under 68 on the links course. But his round was hampered by a double-bogey and a triple. He recovered from the 7s on the sixth and 12th holes to play the last six at 3-under par.

“It was either feast or famine,” Vaughan said. “Outside of those two hockey sticks (7s), it was a good round.”

Romero had only one bogey, driving into a fairway bunker at the par-5 sixth hole.

Romero captured his second Seniors tournament three weeks ago at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y. He lost a playoff to Loren Roberts at the Senior British championship two years ago at Turnberry.

“I feel strong, I feel good and I feel happy,” said the Argentine, whose highlight was a 15-foot birdie putt at the 17th. “I think this is my week. I love this tournament and I am in good form, especially my putting.”

Watson was pleased with his round.

“I don’t think I have made all 18 greens ever in my life,” said Watson, a three-time Senior British Open winner. “I am very happy. I shot a good round of golf in unusual conditions with the wind changing direction.”

Vaughan, in his second season on the Champions Tour, said he would be pleased to win his first tournament on a links course used regularly for the British Open.

“I love coming over here,” he said. “I wouldn’t want a steady diet of it, but it’s great to come over here to play these kind of golf courses.”

Craig Stadler hit a hole-in-one at the “postage stamp” eighth hole — the shortest in the history of the British Open — winning 123 bottles of wine, one for every yard, as a prize from a sponsor.

Stadler used a pitching wedge to the front of the green and the ball bounced twice before rolling in. The ace happened after he birdied the seventh. Stadler finished with a 74.

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Scores with relation to par from the first round of the British Senior Open, played July 24 at the par-71, 7,064-yard Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland (Note: a-amateur):

1. Eduardo Romero	68			-3
1. Bruce Vaughan	68			-3
3. Andy Bean	69			-2
3. John Cook	69			-2
3. Kirk Hanefeld	69			-2
3. Nick Job	69			-2
7. Gene Jones	70			-1
7. Bernhard Langer	70			-1
7. Mark Mcnulty	70			-1
7. John Morse	70			-1
7. Joey Sindelar	70			-1
7. Tom Watson	70			-1
13. John Bland	71			E
13. Eamonn Darcy	71			E
13. Tony Johnstone	71			E
16. Luis Carbonetti	72		+	1
16. Ross Drummond	72		+	1
16. a-John A. Fraser	72		+	1
16. Andrew Murray	72		+	1
16. John Ross	72		+	1
16. Mike Williams	72		+	1
22. Jon Chaffee	73		+	2
22. Tim Conley	73		+	2
22. Jeff Hall	73		+	2
22. a-Adrian Morrow	73		+	2
22. David Ogrin	73		+	2
22. Mike Reid	73		+	2
22. Costantino Rocca	73		+	2
22. Sam Torrance	73		+	2
30. Ronnie Black	74		+	3
30. Philip Blackmar	74		+	3
30. Denis Durnian	74		+	3
30. Vicente Fernandez	74		+	3
30. Wayne Grady	74		+	3
30. Tomohiro Maruyama	74		+	3
30. David Merriman	74		+	3
30. Peter Mitchell	74		+	3
30. Mark O'meara	74		+	3
30. Pete Oakley	74		+	3
30. Juan Quiros	74		+	3
30. Jim Rhodes	74		+	3
30. Craig Stadler	74		+	3
30. Mark Wiebe	74		+	3
30. Nobumitsu Yuhara	74		+	3
45. Isao Aoki	75		+	4
45. Gordon J. Brand	75		+	4
45. Seiji Ebihara	75		+	4
45. Mike Goodes	75		+	4
45. Ken Green	75		+	4
45. Yutaka Hagawa	75		+	4
45. John Hoskison	75		+	4
45. Mike Hulbert	75		+	4
45. Mark James	75		+	4
45. Sandy Lyle	75		+	4
45. John Mctear	75		+	4
45. Kiyoshi Murota	75		+	4
45. Greg Norman	75		+	4
45. Denis O'sullivan	75		+	4
45. Martin Poxon	75		+	4
45. Andrew Reynolds	75		+	4
45. Scott Simpson	75		+	4
45. Tim Simpson	75		+	4
45. Ian Woosnam	75		+	4
64. Adam Adams	76		+	5
64. a-Ian R. Brotherston	76		+	5
64. Angel Franco	76		+	5
64. Gary Hallberg	76		+	5
64. Tom Kite	76		+	5
64. Gary Koch	76		+	5
64. Jim Lapsley	76		+	5
64. Bill Longmuir	76		+	5
64. Bill Mccoll	76		+	5
64. Tom Mcknight	76		+	5
64. Noel Ratcliffe	76		+	5
64. Clarence Rose	76		+	5
64. Bertus Smit	76		+	5
77. James Chancey	77		+	6
77. Bob Gilder	77		+	6
77. Martin Gray	77		+	6
77. Phil Hinton	77		+	6
77. Carl Mason	77		+	6
77. José Rivero	77		+	6
83. Tony Allen	78		+	7
83. Bob Boyd	78		+	7
83. Jerry Bruner	78		+	7
83. Ray Carrasco	78		+	7
83. a-Brady Exber	78		+	7
83. Terry Gale	78		+	7
83. Antonio Garrido	78		+	7
83. David Good	78		+	7
83. Donnie Hammond	78		+	7
83. a-John Mcdonald	78		+	7
83. Simon Owen	78		+	7
83. Manuel Piñero	78		+	7
83. David J. Russell	78		+	7
83. Jeff Sluman	78		+	7
83. Des Smyth	78		+	7
83. Katsuyoshi Tomori	78		+	7
99. Mo Aoki	79		+	8
99. Jimmy Blair	79		+	8
99. John Chillas	79		+	8
99. Guillermo Encina	79		+	8
99. Torsten Giedeon	79		+	8
99. Tim Giles	79		+	8
99. Andrew Hall	79		+	8
99. John Harris	79		+	8
99. Buddy Harston	79		+	8
99. Scott Hoch	79		+	8
99. Bill Lockie	79		+	8
99. David A. Russell	79		+	8
111. Maurice Bembridge	80		+	9
111. Giuseppe Cali	80		+	9
111. Bob Cameron	80		+	9
111. Horacio Carbonetti	80		+	9
111. T.C. Chen	80		+	9
111. Peter Dahlberg	80		+	9
111. Tommy Horton	80		+	9
111. Bobby Lincoln	80		+	9
111. Steve Martin	80		+	9
111. a-Arthur Pierse	80		+	9
111. Ron Streck	80		+	9
111. Peter Teravainen	80		+	9
111. Gordon Townhill	80		+	9
124. Bob Charles	81		+	10
124. Harumitsu Hamano	81		+	10
124. Bruce Heuchan	81		+	10
124. Shigenori Mori	81		+	10
124. Gary Player	81		+	10
124. Tony Price	81		+	10
130. Jimmy Heggarty	82		+	11
130. a-Joel S. Hirsch	82		+	11
130. Domingo Hospital	82		+	11
133. a-Robin Clark	83		+	12
133. a-David Downie	83		+	12
133. Garry Harvey	83		+	12
133. Ossie Moore	83		+	12
133. Steve Stull	83		+	12
138. Mike Gallagher	84		+	13
138. a-J.P. Morgan	84		+	13
138. a-Steve Prendergast	84		+	13
141. a-Robert Fox	85		+	14
141. a-Niall Lavin	85		+	14
143. Stewart Graham	87		+	16
143. a-Paul J. Mckellar	87		+	16

Posted: 7/24/2008

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