Golf: Brown off the pace at Muirfield

Mark Brown. Photo / Geoff Sloan

Wellington professional Mark Brown is off the pace after the first round of the Open Championship in Scotland.

The 38-year-old fired a six-over-par 77 at Muirfield in the testing afternoon conditions to be in a share of 112th place.

He will begin round two 11 shots back from American leader Zach Johnson who followed his playoff loss last week at the John Deere Classic with a superb five-under-par 66 to lead by one stroke.

World No.1 Tiger Woods, who is a three-time Open Champion, was impressive in the afternoon when the greens picked up pace. He carded a two-under-par 69 to be in contention to win his first major title in five years.

Brown, who hadn't played a tournament since the SK Telecom Open in Korea on the OneAsia Tour in May, made three bogeys and two birdies on the outward nine to make the turn in one-over-par.

He lost his way with a triple bogey seven at the par four 12th and followed that with three bogeys in a row to lose touch with the field. He birdied the par three 16th but the World No.444 will need a low round tomorrow to make the cut.

Brown, who is playing in his third major championship, and second Open, is looking to make the cut for the first time after he missed the weekend at the 2009 championship at Turnberry.

He will need to improve at least three shots on the field to make the cut of the top 70 players and ties.

The European Tour title winner tees off at 10:28am tomorrow (local time) and is hoping to turn things around on the 50 year anniversary of Sir Bob Charles' win at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1963.