GULLANE, Scotland — Several players were critical of the Royal & Ancient officials for the way they set up the course for Thursday’s British Open first round.
“(The R&A) has got to let go of (of their) ego sometimes and just set the course up the way the best players can win,’’ Phil Mickelson said. “The the greens are dying and the holes are on edges of slopes that the ball just simply won’t stay. You drop it, it won’t stay by the hole.’’
With no rain in days, the conditions are dry, which makes the gold course hard and fast and many of the greens at Muirfield are browning out.
“I got very lucky to play early today because as the day wore on and we got to the back nine, about a third of every green started to die and became brown,’’ Mickelson said. “And the pins were very edgy, on the slopes and whatnot, that the guys that played early had a huge, huge break. Because even without any wind, it’s beyond difficult.’’
Mickelson and other players pointed out the pin position on the eighth green as diabolical. In 18, Mickelson tapped his 15-foot birdie putt, which nearly went into the hole, but ran six feet past. He missed the comebacker for par and finished 2-under par for the day.
“It was very difficult conditions and playing early gave us at least a fighting chance,’’ Mickelson said. “Hopefully (on Friday), they’ll let go of their ego and set it up reasonable.’’
Ian Poulter echoed Mickelson’s criticism of No. 8 in a tweet, calling it “a joke of a hole.’’ He, too, ripped No. 18, saying it “needed a windmill and a clown’s mouth.’’
David Lynn said in a tweet they were “gin and tonic pins,’’ referring to the greens staff having been drunk while setting the pins.
Thomas Bjorn said he’s never seen a British Open course set up so difficult with such burned-out conditions in an opening round. Usually, Bjorn said, the hard, fast and burned out conditions are reserved for final rounds.
“It’s easy for me to stand up here, because I shot the lowest score so far and I enjoyed the course,’’ Zach Johnson, who shot 5-under, said. “But there are some dicey pins. I don’t know the protocol involved here I would assume there’s going to be some sort of watering on those greens tonight — especially where the pins are now, because it’s getting baked — very, very baked.’’
There is no rain in the forecast for the rest of the tournament.
“Clearly, they’re going to have to move (pins) around a little bit,’’ Johnson said. “I don’t know if they’re set for the week, but my guess is that they’ll use some intellect involved there to make it at least playable so we can finish.’’
Peter Dawson, the executive director of the R&A, responded to player criticisms, saying, “We’re very conscious of player comment and we will take that into account tonight when we decide how greenskeeping staff overnight is going to set up the course tomorrow.
“We’re very happy with the scoring. It’s about what we would expect. There are a good number of players under par. I do understand some players get very frustrated. Ian Poulter, I know, bogeyed three out of the last four holes. But we’re very satisfied with the course. It’s far from unplayable. It’s playable, but indeed very testing.’’
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Louis Oosthuizen, who was playing with Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell, withdrew after playing his tee shot on the fifth hole because of neck and hip injuries. He was 4-over par at the time.
“I’m bitterly disappointed to have to pull out, and it looks likely I’m going to have to take some time off and give my injury the time it needs,’’ Oosthuizen said. “As the round progressed the pain in my neck translated into my hips and I found it increasingly uncomfortable to walk.’’
The same injuries kept Oosthuizen from playing in last month’s U.S. Open at Merion. His management company said he will miss next month’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
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The early leader in the morning wave of tee times was an unlikely one _ 49-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, who got as low as 5-under and finished 3-under.
“One under par is good,’’ Jimenez said. “More under par is more good. At the moment, 3-under par is nice.’’
Jimenez, who is one of the more colorful characters on the European Tour with his orange pony tail and love for cigars and wine, broke his leg last year skiing and was asked if he ever thought his career was over.
“I never think of my career as finished,’’ he said. “I felt (ticked) off. How at 49 yars old you’re going to break your leg? If you’re breaking your leg at 30 years old you could say, ‘OK, I’m going to have a sabbatical year, but at 49 you don’t want to spent a sabbatical day.’’
Describing his accident, Jimenez said he was skiing with his girlfriend and his son and said, “You cannot distract for anything, because the bull can take you.’’
“It cost me breaking my leg,’’ he said. “When I fell down I knew I broke it. It was tough having so many months without hitting (balls) and having no competition.’’
Asked if his skiing career is finished, Jimenez said, “Do you give up anything you enjoy?’’
Jimenez said his primary goals include winning a major and playing on a Ryder Cup team at age 50.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,’’ he said.
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Thursday was Nick Faldo’s 57th birthday and he celebrated it by shooting 79 in the opening round of the British Open at Muirfied, the site of two of his three Open Championship titles.
Faldo, who said he has not played any competitive golf in a couple of years while working in the TV booth, conceded to being nervous on the first tee, where he hit his drive into the fairway.
“It was scary going to the first tee,’’ said Faldo, who had not played in a British Open since 2010 and has not made a cut since 2005. “I thought I settled down all right after that. I was delighted with the way I nailed it down there.’’
Faldo, who is playing this week more on ceremony since he’s a past champion here, said he has had no illusions of making the cut.
“I’m here to walk and enjoy,’’ he said. “That’s what I’ve got to remember.’’
He said playing this week has not encouraged him to play more competitively.
“You won’t be seeing me next year, no way,’’ he said. “I’m not saying, ‘That’s it.’ But who knows? St. Andrews (the site of his other British Open win) is my next port of call, if I want to. This is one tournament in three years. Steady on. One in a row.’’