British Open hero turns pro, makes ace halfway into first round

Mullen and Dunne were both playing the Kingsbarns course, while Broberg shot his 64 at St Andrews.

“I can’t say I will or I won’t, but obviously what Rory has done has been quite inspiring”.

Those who make the cut play the Old Course twice and, despite missing the weekend at the Open there in July, Hend has a decent track record at the home of golf and was a victim of the worst of the conditions three months ago. I’ve played St Andrews lots of times and played Carnoustie five times in a year in the British Amateur, so I know those well. Elsewhere, Carnoustie presents one of the sternest tests of golf in the United Kingdom, especially when the breeze is blowing – a test many players relish – and Kingsbarns is arguably the best course to have opened in the British Isles in the last 30 years. I was hitting a lot of poor full shots. Hollywood actor and golf fanatic Hugh Grant headlines the list of famous non-golfing faces, which also includes musicians Ronan Keating, Huey Lewis and The Eagles’ Don Felder, tennis star Tim Henman, legendary soccer player Johan Cruyff and cricketers Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen.

“But it’s important not just to look back on the negative things as there were also things I can be proud of”.

“I’m grateful to the European Tour because they have been really generous”, he said.

Molinari, who partnered his brother Francesco to World Cup victory for Italy in 2009 and in Europe’s win at Celtic Manor a year later, was due to play this week but wrote on Twitter: “Unfortunately I had to pull out from @DunhillLinks and the remaining events for personal reasons”.

“But I do feel like my hunger is back, and that’s kind of what I wanted to get after a few weeks off”.

Soren Kjeldsen’s blemish-free 65 at Kingsbarns, the venue for the majority of the low scoring during the opening day, leaves him in a tie for fourth alongside Richard Bland and Anthony Wall, with Australia’s Marcus Fraser a further stroke off the pace.

“I just stuck to what me and (caddie) Alex (Howie) and Paul (Mitchell), my coach, who is up for a practice day, stuck to our game plan and our routine, and it worked all right today”.