Johnnie Walker Classic,
Blue Canyon C. C.,
Phuket, Thailand
22th - 25th January 1998

Par 72 Prize Money £800,000

First Round Report

First Round Scores

Four-way tie after first round

By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Phuket, Thailand, 21st January 1998 - A new crackdown on slow play was evident within hours of the European tour season starting in faraway Phuket.

Ulsterman Raymond Burns and South African Wayne Westner were both penalised a shot and fined 500 at the Johnnie Walker Classic, Burns for taking 12 seconds too long to play a stroke and Westner 51 seconds.

It did not affect the leaderboard. While defending champion Ernie Els, Ryder Cup Dane Thomas Bjorn, German Alexander Cejka and Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng shot five under par 67s to share top spot, Westner returned a 79 and Burns an 82.

Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood were timed as well after falling behind the group ahead, but avoided penalty as they both scored 71, one better than world number one Tiger Woods and two better than 1996 winner Ian Woosnam.

Colin Montgomerie and Greg Norman neither playing this week were among those who called for tougher action on slow play last year, throughout which just one player was punished a shot.

But 24-year-old Burns was horrified at being labelled a snail.

"There has never been any question in my life of me being a slow player. This is just unbelievable," he said.

Chief referee John Paramor is determined to act, however, and said: "Every member of the tour was sent a memo containing the new guidelines on slow play before Christmas and were informed again on the noticeboard this week and on the first tee.

"Players are now timed without being warned and if they have one bad time they're told that one more breach will be penalised."

Burns, already four over par after eight holes, was docked a shot on the ninth, while Westner, having turned in two over, was immediately told of his costly transgression on the 10th. "Not best pleased," was Paramor's description of his reaction.

Another player, Swede Peter Heblom, suffered a four-stroke penalty. But that was for starting out with an extra club in his bag, an error he only discovered on the third.

He partially made up for that blunder with a hole-in-one at the 221-yard 17th, but had to be content with a 74.

Another ace came from Padraig Harrington at the 204-yard second and he, like Irish World Cup-winning partner Paul McGinley, opened with a 69.

Ryder Cup partners Faldo and Westwood arrived at their 71s by vastly different routes.

Westwood, winner of titles in Spain, Japan and Australia in November, birdied three of the first four holes, but gave them all back with a triple bogey seven on the 442-yard 12th. He needed three chips to climb up a bank onto the green there.

Faldo was three over after seven holes and by then had already had a run-in with members of the British press, whom he accused of causing his three-putt on the fifth green with a noisy arrival on a buggy.

"After that I was an absolute joy to watch," he said.

Bjorn, the only member of Europe's winning side at Valderrama not invited to the US Masters in April, put his playing partner Woods totally in the shade by going to the turn in 30.

He did then have three bogeys, but eagled the 561-yard ninth, his last, from 25 feet.

Woods took six there, as he had at the long sixth. The first was as a result of driving out of bounds, the latter came after he hit his second into a hazard and had to take a penalty drop.

"It was hot and I didn't feel that comfortable," said the American, who also duffed two pitches.

"Basically, I just didn't play very well. But at least I putted good, thank God."

Bjorn stated: " I probably played the best golf of my life for nine holes and then some of the worst.

"Tiger did not have a great day, but it was inspirational playing with him for the first time. He's 22 and almost a legend. He hit some shots that showed why and he's in a league of his own when he's at the top of his game.

"But European golf is a lot better than we get credit for and we're going to show the world that there are youngsters in Europe who can perform at the highest level.

"We're going to show that there's a reason we won the Ryder Cup. We've been hearing that our tour is not as good as the Americans, but I don't agree."

On his non-appearance at Augusta he commented: "That's disappointing, but life goes on and there's always next year."

Els reached the turn in 32 and after bogeying the difficult third had two more birdies in the last four holes.

The South African had an unusual complaint afterwards, accusing the caddie of Taiwanese player Chang Tse-peng of talking too much.

Scotland's Andrew Coltart finished alongside Faldo and Westwood, but with two to play had been sharing the lead. After double-bogeying the short 17th he carved a drive into the lake and dropped two more shots. Ian Woosnam, winner two years ago, had a 73.

© PA Sporting Life