Time and quality of draw fine for Storm
Jul 15 2008 The Journal
AUSTRALIAN Craig Parry has the honour of hitting the first ball at the 137th Open Championship on Thursday – but Graeme Storm won’t be far behind him. The Hartlepool golfer is off at 7.14am, around 45 minutes after Parry’s first group, which includes American Lucas Glover and York’s Simon Dyson, teeing off at 6.30am.
Storm is drawn with ex-Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle and Australian Scott Strange, and they will be off at 12.25pm on day two. “I’m happy with the draw,” said Storm after practice yesterday. “It’s a good time and I’m playing with a couple of good guys. It should be fun.”
Other early starters include Justin Rose, whose walk down memory lane begins at 7.36am. The last time the Open was played at Royal Birkdale, in 1998, Rose, then a 17-year-old amateur, finished a sensational fourth, two strokes behind winner Mark O’Meara and one adrift of Tiger Woods.
Rose is grouped with five-time Open winner Tom Watson, who lifted the last of his titles at Birkdale in 1983. Their group on Thursday and Friday is completed by the Australian Aaron Baddeley. Padraig Harrington begins his defence at 7.58am with South Africa’s Retief Goosen and American Justin Leonard, who won at Troon.
First amateur out is Open virgin Reinier Saxton, with Fiji’s Vijay Singh and American Hunter Mahon.
Ernie Els, 2002 Muirfield winner, is off at 8.31am along with Scott Verplank and Germany’s Martin Kaymer. Out for an 8.58am start is Lee Westwood, tipped to be the first Englishman to win since Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992. The Worksop player tees off with Korean star K J Choi and 2003 winner Ben Curtis, of the USA.
Ian Poulter is alongside Australian Nick O’Hern and Paul Goydos, of the USA, while Paul Casey’s grouping is sure to have a big following – he is playing with world number two Phil Mickelson and Hideto Tanihara, of Japan. One of the most intriguing groups has Colin Montgomerie with colourful American Boo Weekley and Canadian left-hander Mike Weir.
Then comes big John Daly with England’s Richard Finch and Toru Taniguchi, of Japan. Paul Lawrie – who took the title at Carnoustie in 1999 – is with evergreen Argentinian Angel Cabrera, and Rocco Mediate, of the USA, who lost a play-off to Tiger Woods at the US Open last month.
They tee-off at 12.14pm, followed by 1998 Birkdale winner Mark O’Meara, Sweden’s Niclas Fasth and New Zealander Michael Campbell. At 12.36, Graeme McDowell, winner of the Scottish Open, starts with Rory Sabbatini, of South Africa, and America’s Todd Hamilton. Nick Dougherty is right behind, with Jim Furyk, of the USA, and Colombian Camilo Villegas.
Those looking for potential winners may take a close look at the 1.53pm trio, exciting young American Anthony Kim, in-form South African Trevor Immelman and Denmark’s Soren Hansen. One of the favourites, Sergio Garcia, tees off at 2.31pm with Japan’s Ryuji Imada and Sean O’Hair, of the USA.
