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| McIroy leaves nothing in the locker as he greens a 3-wood on the 315m 14th. |
One country that has a great sporting rivalry with Australia is South Africa, and it was the double-US Open winner Retief Goosen who had the last word on this particular occasion. Goosen started on the same tally of three-under as Marcus Fraser, and his round could scarcely have got off to a less auspicious start – a complete mis-hit off the tee on 10 that traveled no more than 180 yards.
But he rescued par, took the mirth of his playing partners in good part, and set about putting things right with a round of eight-under that gives him a total of eleven-under and a two-stroke lead. He included his second successive eagle three on the 3rd – already four-under on that hole after only two days' play. His one bogey – a four on the par-3 5th – robbed him of a course-record equaling 62, but Retief will not be unduly worried, as he himself is the holder of that record.
"I've actually shot 62 around here twice," he specified. "The first was with placing in 2001 (when he went on to take the title) and the second without placing, which counts as the record. I do like it here," he added, mirroring Adam Scott's comment. "The golf course is fairly generous off the tee, and I'm not one of the straightest hitters."
Golf demands such high levels of concentration that it is very difficult to perform well for two weeks in succession – the strain of competing for a title one week can often result in a hangover carried forward into the next. Thus it was that the young Argentinean Rafa Echinique, who performed so splendidly in last week's Open de France, finished a distant 149th this week, 23 strokes behind the leader at twelve-over par.
One who has had no such problems is Open de France winner Martin Kaymer. He played himself nicely into contention on the first day with a two-under round of 69, and followed that up on Friday with a 65, to find himself equal third with Marcus Fraser on eight-under.
"My putting was good today," said Kaymer. "I hit a lot of solid shots and a lot of greens, and I made a lot of putts, especially on the back nine.
"I was surprised to be playing so well this week," he added. "I'm really tired from my recent schedule – the tournament in America, the US Open, Munich, and then last week's win. It's been a lot of travel too." Kaymer is aiming for the world's top-20. The target does not seem at all over-ambitious in the light of his recent achievements and his current form.
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| One that got away - angling takes the mind off a bad round of golf. |
Come the afternoon, the first-day leaders found it hard to catch up with those who had set the Friday target. Overnight leader Richard Green had an up and down day; a combination of four bogeys and three birdies led to a dropped shot overall and a step backwards from first to twelfth place. But he is still in touch.
The only two of Thursday's front-runners who made any progress at all were Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, and to the relief of the home support, Scotland's Martin Laird.
Like Green, Gonzalo too was erratic, but in contrast to the Aussie his haul of five birdies and four bogeys gave him a round of one-under and a share of fifth place at seven-under.
