Nick Price frustrated after wasting hot start

Zimbabwe's Nick Price produced his best putting display of the year Friday but was frustrated after carding a one-under-par 70 in the British Open's second round.

The 45-year-old Price, 1994 Open champion at Turnberry, birdied three of the first five holes to move two clear of the field but lost momentum around the turn as his long game let him down.

"It was one of the few days I've had this year where every swing was a mystery to me," said the former world number one after finishing at four-under-par 138.

"But my short game and my putting was probably my best this year. I made some great putts to start off.

"Now I've got to find something on the practice tee. My long game was very tentative and apprehensive today -- I'm getting out of position and can't get back to the ball."

The three-times major winner holed putts from 30 and 20 feet at the opening par fours and picked up another shot at the par-five fifth.

But he dropped his first shot of the day at the par-four eighth, pulling his tee shot into the rough, and narrowly missed a birdie at the ninth when his putt from off the green horse-shoed around the hole and stayed out.

A birdie at the 11th was offset by a bogey-five at the 10th and he also bogeyed the short 13th, where his tee shot was pushed into the right rough.

"Hopefully, today's round was an exception and not a norm for this week," he said.

"The shorter clubs are OK but the longer clubs are a bit scary right now.

"I'm just hoping that I've got my bad round behind. Now I want to go and find Mr. (David) Leadbetter (his coach), get on the range and find something.

"I'm putting so well at the moment. If only I can only get the ball on to the greens in regulation, I can certainly do something good here."

Price, who tied for eighth in the 1987 British Open at Muirfield, is playing in his 24th Open championship.

His other two major victories came at the U.S. PGA Championship in 1992 and 1994.

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