OPEN DIGEST

Walton shows his character after nightmare start
IT'S 10 years since Philip Walton, the Ryder Cup hero of 1995, last graced a British Open championship . . . and his opening tee-shot of yesterday's first round hinted at a tough old day at the office as his drive went, as he put it, "straight right" over the out-of-bounds fence.

A double bogey-bogey start was a real blow to the Dubliner but, to his credit, he battened down the hatches and signed for a 77. For Damien McGrane, his debut appearance in a major ended in disappointment as he shot a 79.

Lyle raises white flag after nine
SANDY Lyle's old bones simply couldn't take any more as the horizontal rain lashed the links yesterday. After he completed the front nine in 45 strokes - to be 11 over at that juncture - the two-time major champion decided he had enough. Lyle shook hands with the appropriately named Graeme Storm and Scott Strange and walked in.

"I was out of whack with my golf game and it was best to call it a day," remarked Lyle.

'Great White Shark' can still bite
THE "Great White Shark" may be making a rare appearance in the British Open, but Greg Norman proved he still has some bite with a first round 70 that left him just a stroke off the lead. Norman hasn't played in the championship since St Andrews in 2005 but said this set-up at Royal Birkdale is as good as he has seen. Norman has played in 25 Opens, claiming two titles in 1986 at Turnberry and 1993 at Sandwich.

English summer not for Weekley
"IF this is the summer, I couldn't live here," said Boo Weekley, after battling his way to an opening round 80 yesterday.

Perhaps Weekley could be excused his poor round . . . the Florida player was competing for the first time since the US Open, after his wife Karyn gave birth to the couple's second child - Aiden O'Neal - on June 23rd.

"I haven't played golf at all since the baby was born," he added.