If players scoring well is a sign of a course that they like, then O’Hara would have been very gratified by the explosion of red numbers that flooded across the scoreboards from the World’s best players. As the field reached the turn, barely a handful of competitors were at par or worse. Retief Goosen had remarked how the length the course was playing would suit the longer hitters – those in trouble included Charles Howell III, Darren Clarke and Freddie Jacobsen whilst Luke Donald was outplaying the ‘wounded’ Tiger Woods until the 9th, with four birdies in a row courtesy of some spectacular mid range putting.

Donald would bogey the 9th though, as Woods made a second consecutive birdie to turn in 32 (-4). He had started with a two threes to astound the crowds who were wincing with every movement he made as a practise swing or to actually hit the ball.

Other fast starts came from British Masters Champion Barry Lane, four under after 10 but not able to add to that score and finishing with a 68. The same score would have been David Howell’s but for a bogey at the last. Thomas Bjorn was another on 68, with the Dane saying ‘it was the best all year’ and his first round in the 60s since the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

Steve Flesch looked as if he would take the clubhouse lead by birdying 14through 16, only to drop a shot at the 18th for a 67 to join Miguel Angel Jimenez on that score, the 3 time European Tour winner coming back in 33.

Jimenez attributes his present form to just trying to enjoy himself more, although at the Ryder Cup, he only stayed for an hour at the Irish bar where the European team decamped to after the presentations – he was on the bar with Lee Westwood though for much of that time.

Jimenez has not practiced much last week, as he recovered from his exertions in Detroit. Stuart Appleby has not played competitively since the last World Championship event, the NEC, nearly a month ago. He liked the way he was playing despite his rustiness and joined Flesch and Jimenez on 67. There was soon another Spanish player on this score, when Sergio Garcia unfortunately turned a possible 65 into another at –5 by missing out the on birdie that many were taking on the 17th then also bogeying the 18th.

There were soon six players on 67 after Luke Donald put behind him a string of Faldo like pars from the 10th to finish 44, beating his injured playing partner Woods by a shot.

That was one shot short of a lead which was held by Todd Hamilton, Open Champion. Liking the ‘dreary’ weather, Hamilton had slept till well in the morning to recover from his jet lag and putted really well –

‘If you can’t putt on these greens, you can’t putt. They are spectacular!’

Hamilton is enjoying his golf, something he has always done and which was re-enforced through watching the European Ryder Cup team. He has been honing his skills with the ‘short stick’ on the infamous Mount Juliet Putting course in a challenge match and has enjoyed, as only someone as relaxed as Hamilton is, rounds of crazy golf all over the world. These have included a loss to his wife –

‘In the US, there is a franchise called Putt Putt – with orange balls and walls that knock the ball back on-line. That’s kind of nice … but I did lose to my wife one time … she won’t mind me letting you have that one.’

Mrs Hamilton will certainly not mind if Todd is presenting the family with a $1.2M cheques come Sunday but there was one other player who joined the 67s late on.

Adam Scott was the only player all day to make 3 at the 18th. His round stuttered with a double bogey at the 12th but his wins have come at three or so month intervals. He certainly has the length to win and his birdie count was a good as anyone’s.