Golf: Perks fights through the tempest

GULLANE - Craig Perks was poised overnight for a possible top-three finish in his first British Open.

The New Zealander carded a level-par 71 in dreadful winter-like conditions yesterday to jump from a starting position of equal 43 into a nine-way share of 14th at level par and only five strokes from the lead.

Perks completed his round close to 3.45pm, experiencing the worst of the weather from the turn inwards.

"It was a very difficult experience," he said. "Muirfield really showed its teeth today."

Perks teed off with Nick Faldo in the morning half of the draw, with no inclination of the tempest to lash the Scottish course.

The rangy Perks moved ahead of his six-time majors-winning partner, birdying the second from two metres and then, despite a bogey at the fourth, moved to three-under with birdies at five, eight and nine.

The wind and rain began in earnest when Perks and Faldo headed down the 10th, where Perks found the rough off the tee en route to a second bogey.

He managed to birdie 11, but stepped on to the 12th tee with the rain lashing down sideways.

"That's when the conditions were the worst for us," Perks said.

"Fortunately we played 14 and 15 downwind and I knew then if I could just hold my position and hang in over the rest of the holes, then I might be okay."

But the Players Championship titleholder then found a bunker at the par-three 16th, taking an eventual bogey, and then slipped further with bogeys at 17 and 18.

"It was such a difficult day," he said, "but I think that's the way the British Open golf is suppose to be."

- NZPA