Colin
Montgomerie has had his blushes saved by Sam Torrance on the first day of the
Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews on Thursday.
Torrance, a late substitute for toothache victim Montgomerie, rescued Scotland's
hopes hours after he was called up from his Surrey home last night, after European
number one Montgomerie pulled out in desperate pain after five holes of the curtain-raising
pro-am. However it was only in the morning that Torrance found out he would be
playing against Paraguay.
The 46-year-old’s chance arose because first reserve Andrew Coltart insisted he
would not leave his month-old baby daughter Bonnie at such short notice. He managed
to come from one behind with five holes to play to beat Raul Fretes and so assisted
the Scots, to avoid a repetition of the defeat they suffered six years ago.
Gary Orr was off-course
against world number 21 Carlos Franco whose round was a magnificent seven under
par 65, but in-form Paul Lawrie, the Open champion making his first appearance
in this event, got the better of Franco's older brother Angel for a 2-1 win to
the Scots.
Torrance
was one ahead after 12, but bogeyed the 429-yard 13th while Fretes, conqueror
of Montgomerie in the 1993 clash, birdied it. However Fretes, after seeing Torrance
go twice into the bunkers, made a mess of it aswell, taking six to Torrance's
five. Therefore they were back level-pegging and after both bogeyed the 16th the
deciding hole was the infamous ‘Road Hole’ 17th.
Torrance, unfortunately, went onto the road over the green, but from the side
of the cavernous Road Bunker, Fretes chipped over the green and over the road.
He took an embarrising three more to hole out for a double bogey six, while Torrance
chipped to six feet and made it for a two-stroke lead he held on to win.
Torrance scored only a
three over par 75, but it was the point that mattered and not the score. Commenting
on the fans, he admitted: “ It’s great to play and the fans have been superb.
The Ryder cup is behind us now but the fans are still a bit quiet, so you can
shout you know. It’s good though to know you’ll never get anything like that over
here”.
In the other
Group Two match, fifth seeds Australia were ecstatic after beating Japan 2-1.
Craig Parry came
to the 18th hole trailing Tsuyoshi Yoneyama by one, but sank a 58-yard pitch-and-run
through the hazourdous bunkers for an eagle two and a one-stroke win, 69 to 70.
Veteran Isao Aoki
drew the match by defeating Peter O'Malley 72-74, but Stephen Leaney gave them
victory by pipping Katsuyoshi Tomori 69-70.
In Group One America continued
the Ryder Cup spirit as Mark O'Meara squeezed through against Greg Turner in the
end to lead his team to a 2-1 win over New Zealand .
O'Meara, who was three ahead with four to go, bogeyed the 15th, then misjudged
his shot to land on the road at the 17th but double-bogeyed. Suddenly it was all
level, when Turner hit his pitch to the 18th short in the 'Valley of Sin', leaving
himself a 10-footer for a par which would have forced sudden-death, but missed
it.
Tom Lehman
was steadiness personified as he edged out Michael Campbell 74-71, and said: "The
crowds were great. There was nothing negative at all. They appreciated good golf
and were very warm."
However, if he didn't feel any embarassment about his notorious behaviour at Brookline,
he was smarting having missed the morning's opening ceremony. His captain, O'Meara,
later accepted responsiblity for his team-mate's absence, saying: "I'll take the
blame. I'm captain and I should have told Tom."
