Golf: Mixed day for Kiwis at British Open

Josh Geary. File photo

TURNBERRY, Scotland - Josh Geary and David Smail ended in near darkness as New Zealand's bright lights on the opening day of the British Open at Turnberry.

Geary walked from the course at 8.45pm local time after birdies on two of his closing three holes in a superb level par round of 70 in his debut in a major championship.

Smail ended the round some 20 minutes later in the penultimate group of the day also with a pair of birdies over his last three holes for the same score as Geary.

The effort was Smail's best first round effort in six British Opens.

Geary and Smail were officially credited with a share of 51st place on day one of the 138th British Open that left them lying six strokes behind Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, who leads with a six-under par 64.

In contrast to Geary and Smail, New Zealand's early morning starters in Michael Campbell and Mark Brown didn't fair well, with Campbell never recovering from a third hole triple bogey in his 78.

Brown was three over par through five holes of his round before fighting back to level par at the 17th, but then three-putting the last for a total of 33 putts in his one over par 71.

Campbell's scorecard included one birdie, four bogeys, a third-hole triple bogey and a 16th-hole bogey where he found the water guarding the green.

Geary began his round by sandwiching a fourth hole birdie in between bogeys at three and five before also dropping a shot at the par four 14th, when his tee shot landed in a deep divot.

But the 24-year-old Otumoetai golfer managed to get back to one-over when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt at the par four 16th that was officially the hardest hole on day one.

Geary then found the green in three from the rough at the par five, 17th and got himself back to level by sinking a 20-footer for birdie.

"I'm really pleased and I would have snapped your hand off if you had of handed me a level par 70 on the first tee in my first British Open," he said.

"I am really pleased with the way I managed to fight back after dropping a couple of early shots, but I felt very nervous the first couple of holes and I was floating really but I stuck to my routine and soon starting a lot more comfortable out there.

"As I wasn't teeing off until really late, I decided to sleep in a bit and then got up and watched Tiger (Woods) on TV and then got to the course at 2pm, so it was really a very lazy morning on the couch."

Smail admitted on the eve of his sixth British Open he would resist the urge to watch TV coverage of the morning rounds.

However, the Japan Tour-based Smail broke the urge and was pleased he did as he admitted he used the knowledge gleaned by watching his rivals putt on the 16th and 17th holes to then come out well after 8pm local time and birdie both holes.

"Normally, I won't watch TV coverage if I am out late like today but it helped me over the last few holes including 16 and 17," he said.

"I was mainly reading a magazine but I did have a little peek up a few times to see how the ball was rolling on those last three holes.

"I got down on myself early in the round after a few bad tee shots, but all in all I am pretty pleased with a level par 70," he said.

"But of all the British Opens I have now played this is my best start and the best I've felt after a first round. So I am quite happy with the way I played considering I am working still on a few changes in my game."

Smail's only hiccup was a double bogey at the stunning 10th hole, where players have to drive from in front of the famed lighthouse, over a beach and on to the fairway.

Smail's tee shot veered left landing in rough and in an effort to get back to the fairway, he buried his ball deeper.

He then took an unplayable penalty shot before eventually walking off with a six.

- NZPA