Golf: Mediate, McDowell and Allenby take early lead

Tag : wind break

SOUTHPORT - With the rain stopping and the wind letting up, RoccoMediate, Graeme McDowell and Robert Allenby showed it was possibleto break par at fearsome Royal Birkdale on today.
Mediate followed up his stirring performance in the US Open, wherehe lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff, by becoming the first playerat the British Open to shoot a red number. He chipped in for birdieat No 17, then knocked in a 12-footer for another birdie at thefinal hole and a 1-under 69.
"I love it here," said the 45-year-old Mediate, playing the Openfor the first time since 2002. "It's great to be back."
Coming off a win at the Scottish Open, McDowell kept up his hotplay. Playing two groups after Mediate, the golfer from NorthernIreland also closed with a birdie-birdie finish and a 69 of hisown.
Then came Allenby, an Australian regular on the PGA Tour. He was 3over at the turn but sank four birdies on the back nine, matchingMediate and McDowell on the last two holes.
"I gave myself a lot of chances," Allenby said. "It's just a matterof hanging in there and trying to shoot as low as you can in theconditions that are given to us."
At least Mediate wouldn't have to worry about Woods if there wasanother playoff. The world's No 1 player is sitting out the rest ofthe year after undergoing knee surgery, missing his first majorsince 1996.
Michael Campbell was the best of the New Zealanders in the field,carding a five-over 75 with compatriot David Smail one shot behind.
Campbell was delighted with his 75 and said he played great intricky conditions. He said he has worked hard on his game and feelsready to explode.
For the early starters, Royal Birkdale was a house of horrors. PhilMickelson lost a ball in the tangly rough. Sandy Lyle and Rich Beemboth gave up halfway through their rounds. Vijay Singh signed foran 80. So did Ernie Els - the worst score ever on his sterling Openrecord.
"Par is irrelevant on a day like this," said Craig Parry, who hitthe first shot of the tournament and struggled to a 77. "You canonly laugh and take it on the chin. The golf course is going towin."
Especially on holes such as the gargantuan sixth, a 499-yard layoutthat was listed as a par-4 for some reason. Boo Weekley was forcedto play driver on two straight shots in the morning, when the rainwas steady and winds gusted to 56 kph - and still didn't reach thegreen.
"If this is the summer," said Weekley, a native of the FloridaPanhandle, "I couldn't live here."
By afternoon (local time), the sun poked through the clouds, a signof the less-challenging conditions. Adam Scott and Greg Norman werejust one stroke behind the co-leaders at 70, also better than anyscore to come out of the morning.