Garcia crashes back to earth

The Spanish sensation, already with a European Tour victory under his belt despite only turning professional in April, had made a blistering start to his career in the paid ranks.

The 19-year-old won the Irish Open earlier this month and finished in a tie for second at Loch Lomond only last week to be installed as one of the contenders for the title.

But his hopes unravelled in nightmare fashion in the early stages as he stumbled to an amazing 13 over par after just 12 holes.

The writing was on the wall on the very first hole as he ran up a triple bogey seven on the 407-yard par four.

His drive clattered into the large gallery on the left of the fairway and his second flew back across the other side of the fairway into heavy rough.

From a horrible lie he could only advance the ball a few feet, his fourth found the greenside bunker and after splashing out he took two putts to complete a miserable start.

He managed to steady the ship with two pars but then dropped further shots at the fourth and fifth to be five over par.

There was worse to come with a double bogey on the ninth for an outward nine of 44 from the teenager who has played nine holes at his home course in 42 - left handed!

The one consolation for Garcia was that he was far from alone with defending champion Mark O'Meara also reaching the turn in 44, eight over par.

Last year's leading amateur, Justin Rose, was also struggling and stood five over after six holes following a double bogey at the par five sixth which had been played in a total of 34 over par by the first 63 players.

Tom Watson, winner here when the Open last visited in 1975, was also eight over after 13 holes as the wind began to strengthen.

Scotland's Andrew Coltart looked like setting the early clubhouse target as he took the outright lead at two under par.

The 29-year-old Surrey-based Scot reached the turn in level par 36 before picking up shots at the 10th and 14th before Carnoustie bit back.

Bogeys at the 15th and 16th were followed by a double bogey at the 17th to leave him two over par and two shots adrift of the clubhouse target.

That was set by Australian Rodney Pampling, a 30-year-old from Queensland who battled his way to a level par 71.

Pampling, playing in the second group, parred the first 11 holes before dropping a shot at the 12th only to reply with a birdie at the next and an eagle from 25 feet at the par five 14th.

Two late bogeys halted his charge but at level par and with conditions predicted to get worse in the afternoon, he was unlikely to be far from the lead at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, Sam Torrance's miserable year continued today as he was forced to miss his first Open championship for 27 years.

The 45-year-old Scot had to withdraw this morning without hitting a shot due to a recurrence of a shoulder injury that has plagued him all season.

It is the first Open the Ryder Cup stalwart has missed since making his debut at Muirfield in 1972 and almost certainly ends his hopes of qualifying for a ninth successive Cup appearance in Boston in September.