Irish eyes far from smiling after Singh takes initiative

The 39-year-old son of a former Olympic sprinter known as ‘The Flying Sikh’ came out of the blocks with an eagle and six birdies to equal the lowest round of his career.

It was six strokes better than Darren Clarke, who recovered well from hitting his first shot as Open champion into a hazard, seven better than US Open champion Rory McIlroy, nine better than last year’s US Open winner Graeme McDowell and 10 better than three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

Another of the Irish contingent, former Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley, described Singh’s putting as the best he had ever seen.

“I don’t know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, but 59 did cross my mind,” said the three-time Tour winner, now outside the world’s top 200 after suffering shoulder and back injuries last season.

The thought came when he had four holes to play. He needed to birdie them all, but even though he “only” parred them he was still three clear of the field as he spoke afterwards.

The eagle came courtesy of a 30-foot putt on the 513-yard seventh, but what gave him most confidence happened last Sunday in Sweden.

In strong winds the par three island green 17th was a nightmare for most of the field – Steve Webster took 11 and Fredrik Andersson Hed a 12 – but Singh made one of only three birdies.

Sixth place there was his best finish on the circuit for more than two years and now his sights are aimed much higher.

Most of the 18,000 crowd, though, had come to see their own leading lights and Clarke said of his walk up the 18th: “I felt like I was winning a tournament – it’s been very special.”

The 42-year-old is still under the weather after his post-Open celebrations last week were followed by a “self-inflicted” dose of flu, but he was not seeking any excuses.

“I didn’t come here to make up the numbers,” he added. “I hit a lot of good shots and had lots of chances, but didn’t quite have the speed of the greens.”

McIlroy reached four under after 10 early in the day and led by two – Singh had not even teed off by then – but bogeyed the 11th and went in the water for a closing double bogey.

Afterwards, McIlroy reacted angrily to criticism of his play by telling a television commentator to “shut up”.

Enough was enough for the US Open champion after finishing his first-round and then reading on Twitter what former European Tour player Jay Townsend thought.

The American described McIlroy’s course management as “shocking” and “some of the worst I have ever seen beyond under-10’s boys golf competition”.

Playing a tournament on home soil for the first time since his runaway eight-shot win in Washington in June, the world No 4 snapped back: “Shut up ... you’re a commentator and a failed golfer, your opinion means nothing!”

And when Townsend, runner-up to Sam Torrance at the 1993 Heineken Open in Spain after the final round was cancelled for snow, responded that he stood by his comments McIlroy then said: “Well I stand by my caddie”.

Youngest winner of the US Open since 1933, the 22-year-old has had JP Fitzgerald on his bag since the middle of his first full season as a professional in 2008.

“He’s been having a go at JP every now and again since then and this was the first time I’ve responded – it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said McIlroy. “Now I’ve blocked him on Twitter so I won’t be reading anything more.”

McIlroy, who took three weeks off after his first major title and then finished a disappointing 25th in the Open, thought some rustiness may have been to blame for some of his “scrappy” golf over the inward half.

“I didn’t drive it great all day. I was caught in two minds quite a few times out there, which isn’t usually like me,” he added.

McDowell was hoping to hit back from missing the cut at Sandwich, but has been having treatment for a sore back.

“It generally loosens out, but didn’t really this morning and I got a little stuck with a few irons shots,” he stated.

“It’s not alarm bells, just a little bit of stiffness. I might have a couple of medicinal pints tonight just to loosen the back!”

Last year’s runner-up Harrington also made an early departure from The Open and things just are not going his way at the minute.

At one under after 10, he bogeyed three of the next four and, like Singh, parred in from there.

Singh’s lead was cut to two late in the day by France’s Alexandre Kaleka, the Tour rookie making five birdies in a row from the 12th and then another at the last.

Former US Open champion Michael Campbell, now down at 701st in the world, had an eagle and three birdies in the last five to be joint third with Swede Christian Nilsson and German Marcel Siem on five under.

Defending champion Ross Fisher was only one further back, but fellow Englishman Nick Dougherty was on course to miss his 19th cut in a row after a 75.

Harrogate’s John Parry led the Yorkshire charge, hitting an impressive 68 to sit alongside Floris De Vries, David Horsey, Lorenzo Gagli, Ross McGowan, Oscar Floren and Graeme Storm.

Simon Dyson was two shots further back while Hull’s Richard Finch hit a 71 to finish level par.

Sheffield’s Danny Willett brought up the rear for the White Rose, hitting a one-over 72.