Scot Watch - Friday

After one and a bit rounds of the 136th Open Championship the home players are experiencing mixed fortunes and there’s been a surprisingly good performance from a former champion.

Fergus Bisset
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published

Sandy Lyle is still in contention. I?d almost forgotten about the spectacle wearing man from Shropshire but he knocked it round yesterday in a highly respectable 73. He?s currently out on the course again and is one over par through 12 holes.

Verdict: There?s still a chance he could lead the Open at the half way stage.

Colin Montgomerie?s putting let him down in his round of 73. It was all too predictable. The big man had already earmarked the putter as the main obstacle between him and Open glory. ?Two over is no disaster, but I felt I deserved a few less,? he said.

Verdict: Not out of it but I fear he?s talking himself out of it, worrying about the putter.

1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie also took 73 blows yesterday and he too felt hard done by. ?I didn?t get what I deserved,? he said. ?I didn?t play too badly.? The Aberdonian has to deal with the circus accompanying Tiger Woods for the first two rounds. Being paired with the world number one is always tough.

Verdict: If he makes the cut he?ll feel liberated away from Tiger over the weekend and could move up the field.

Alastair Forsyth is top Scot after round one. He was out towards the end of the field but came in with an impressive round of 70. He made only two bogeys and finished strongly with four pars. He?s just about to start his second round and will hope to build on his good start.

Verdict: Clearly playing solidly, the Glaswegian has a chance to make real progress today.

Scott Drummond had a bit of a shocker. His round included an 8 at the 6th. He compounded his problems by taking four bogeys in the last six holes.

Verdict: Scott will have a nice weekend taking the dogs for a walk and doing the garden.

US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay scored a mediocre 76. He?s currently on course and is sitting at six over.

Verdict: Will need a strong finish to this round to make the cut.

Nobody?s heard of Ross Bain and Doug McGuigan but they?re two over and six over respectively.

Verdict: Bain will make the cut if he puts in a solid round today. McGuigan will spend Saturday go-karting and Sunday reading a good book.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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