Blood spilt as Els says he put 'jinx' on famous group

Star-studded threesome struggles around Royal Liverpool course

Ernie Els left a spectator bloodied with a wild opening tee shot, defending champion Phil Mickelson went out of bounds and Bubba Watson's promising start was blown away at the British Open on Thursday.

One of the most eye-catching groups of the tournament's first round had a wretched day, carding a cumulative 13 over par to leave their chances of challenging for the Claret Jug hanging in the balance.

With 11 majors between them, the large galleries following the trio around the Royal Liverpool course would have expected golf as dazzling as the afternoon sunshine.

Instead, the breeze picked up and events took several turns for the worse.

Rory McIlroy shot a flawless six-under 66 to lead by one stroke over Italy's Matteo Manassero on a day of low scoring which also saw fit-again Tiger Woods find some form.

The 25-year-old Irishman's opening salvo was the second best round he has carded at the Open, bettered only by the course record of 63 he shot in the first round at St Andrews four years ago.

Two more Italians - the Molinari brothers Edoardo and Francesco - were a further stroke back at 4-under 68, level with Americans Jim Furyk and Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia of Spain and world No 1 Adam Scott of Australia.

In what was a top-class leaderboard, nine players were camped on three-under 69 including Woods, who was playing in just his second tournament since undergoing back surgery in late March.

Double Open champion Els went around in 79 after being visibly shaken by the bloody aftermath of an errant drive at the first and then missing two tiddlers on the green, one with a casual back-handed putt usually reserved for park hackers.

"I hit the guy right in the face, there was blood everywhere," the South African said.

"I felt pretty bad about it. I was trying to hit it left, which I did, but obviously I should have told the starter to move the people left, but I didn't do that.

"I hit him right in the face and it's like a bullet coming at you and you fear the worst.

"I really felt bad, hopefully he's better now. I was thinking about him still on the green. I started missing easy putts and it was a nightmare but I just hope the gentleman is feeling better. He didn't look too good."

Organizers later said the man had been taken to hospital but was not seriously hurt.

Two-time Masters champion Watson was still two under after eight holes before three bogeys and a triple on the back nine left him frustrated on 4-over 76.

Fellow American Mickelson endured an eight-minute delay during a fruitless search for his ball on the 18th, eventually being shuttled back up the fairway in a course buggy to play another one, which he promptly hit into rough.

His six capped a 2-over 74, although he was at least upbeat afterwards about his form.

The same could not be said for Els.

"I think I put the jinx on the group," Els, who was later disturbed by a frog on the 18th, said. "I think I played the first nine (holes) seven over in great conditions, which is unheard of.

"I think I pulled them down a bit."

Left-hander Watson, a huge crowd favorite with his swashbuckling style, put his disappointing start down to losing focus on the par-four 11th hole.

"I lost it on the short 11th," he said. "I had to ask my caddie about four times what the distance was. Then I plugged it up against the back lip (of the bunker).

"I had a triple there and after that just never had anything. I just didn't stay committed and focused on what I was doing on that shot and that cost me dearly.

"Hopefully tomorrow I can make the cut but the weather is supposed to be a little iffy. Somehow I'll have to make a few birdies."

The 44-year-old Mickelson has endured a lean time since an inspired final round at Muirfield last year earned him the Open title at the 20th time of asking.

He has not posted a top-10 finish since that memorable day and missed the cut at his beloved Masters in April.

Ever optimistic, he said his game was back.

"That's the best I've hit it in over a year," he said. "The score sucks, but my game is as good as it's been in a long time.

"I've felt like it's just been a fraction off. I've been saying it's a fraction off for a while now. And I feel now I found that last fraction. And it's started to click."

CADDIE MISPLACES ROSE'S DRIVER

Justin Rose played the first two holes at the British Open without a driver on Thursday after it was mistakenly removed from his golf bag and shipped nearly 300 kilometers south of Royal Liverpool.

Rose's caddie, Mark Fulcher, had arranged to send two drivers to a couple of his friends in the south of England. Unfortunately, one of the drivers he gave away belonged to Rose.

"It was a bit of a comedic start to the day, no doubt," said Rose, who managed to get the driver returned - but only after he had started his first round in Hoylake.

The 2013 US Open champion shot an even-par 72, leaving him six strokes behind leader Rory McIlroy, but said he had not been affected by his club troubles in the morning.

"I knew I would have it by the time I really, really needed it out there, toward the seventh and the back nine," he said. "The way the course was playing I knew I wasn't going to require the driver for a good couple of hours."

It wasn't quite on a par with the costly blunder made by Ian Woosnam's caddie at the British Open at Royal Lytham in 2001.

Woosnam was in a share of the lead after one hole of his final round when he was informed he had 15 clubs in his bag, one more than permitted. The Welshman was given a two-shot penalty and he threw a spare driver - the club that took his allocation over the limit - into the rough near the second tee.

Rose is one of the favorites for the Claret Jug after winning his past two tournaments - the Quicken Loans National at Congressional and the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen - but already has ground to make up.

The afternoon starters encountered the toughest conditions of the day, with the wind picking up off the Irish Sea, and Rose said he "ran out of a little bit of steam" on a back nine that he played in 1 over.

"Even par always feels like a waste of five hours, really," Rose said. "I felt like there was a lot of good stuff today. Really felt comfortable with my game early on."

Ernie Els grimaces after missing a putt on the 12th green during the first day of the British Open at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, England, on Thursday. Scott Heppell / AP

(China Daily 07/19/2014 page16)