Golf: Nobilo on high after first round

CARNOUSTIE - Frank Nobilo found some joy on a day of golfing carnage as he led the five-strong Kiwi challenge in the first round of the British Open.

Nobilo emerged virtually unscathed with a 5-over 76 to trail leader Rodney Pampling, of Australia, by five strokes. Nobilo recorded four bogeys, a double bogey six and a solitary birdie.

"I was four over par after six holes and at that stage things weren't looking too good, but to get it back and finish with a 76 is not too bad," he said.

"I'm starting to play better and my confidence is coming back," said Nobilo, whose health and form worries have seen his world ranking plummet from the mid-20s to the 180s in the past year.

Greg Turner, who bogeyed the last two holes, and Michael Long were two shots behind Nobilo on 78, Michael Campbell was left licking his wounds after firing an 8-over 79 and veteran Bob Charles, the 1963 champion, was far from the worst affected by the course and the conditions with his 83.

Nobilo was not alone in thinking the Royal and Ancient Golf Club had seriously erred in setting up the course.

"It was just brutal out there and to be perfectly honest the course is in magnificent condition but the R and A have probably made it too severe," he said of the knee-high rough and narrow fairways.

"On a fine day with maybe a 5mph breeze it's a great test, but with the 25mph winds today the course is at least 10 yards too narrow."

One of Nobilo's playing partners, world No 2 David Duval, was even more outspoken after signing for a 79.

"If there were any amateurs playing out there today they'd walk off, and so would some professionals," American Duval complained.

"You are seeing now what some predicted players would break 300 this week and I don't know what they [R and A] are trying to accomplish with the set-up. - NZPA