One must have a cool head and a self-esteem that is tsunami-proof to bounce back from the blunder of the year as Paul Broadhurst has done on the first day of the Senior Open being held at Carnoustie. The English golfer has handed in a scorecard of 69 strokes and has placed himself in second position, one stroke behind the sole leader, the Canadian Stephen Ames (-4). However, nobody would have believed the result if they decided to turn off the TV or switch to the Olympic Games after finishing his 9th hole.
Broadhurst made a huge mistake, which happens, but is seen very rarely, and even less so in a Major. It happened on hole 7. His first putt left him given, exactly one centimetre from the hole. The ball, in fact, was practically peeking out. When he went to finish the job, he only had to push the ball, he doesn’t make impact and takes a swing at the air. Tremendous. Double bogey.
Did that really happen?
A costly mistake from Paul Broadhurst will result in a bogey. pic.twitter.com/GawFLlpO22
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 25, 2024
It was a moment of earth swallow me. In fact, it was initially not very clear if Broadhurst had intended to hit the ball. It looked like it, but there were doubts. A referee asked him and the Englishman, honest, confirmed that yes, it had been an attempt in the air. Double bogey to the song. Shortly afterwards, on hole 9, another bogey fell on him. He was placed with +2 after nine holes. That could end with the rosary of the dawn.
However, the Briton, winner of the last Senior Open held at Carnoustie, recovered like a great champion. He signed the second nine best holes of the day, made 31 strokes and finished in second position. Giant reaction. “I don’t know if it was a lack of concentration. I simply wasn’t well balanced and failed when trying to make contact,” he revealed later.
As expected, Carnoustie has been a very serious and demanding test for the golfers. Only 18 have managed to go under par and only five have broken the barrier of 70 strokes. In second position, tied with Broadhurst, are K.J. Choi, Peter Baker and Richard Green, who is playing with a set of irons from 2004 and a putter from 1984. Australian’s vintage equipment.
As for the Spaniards, the performance of Miguel Ángel Martín (-1) and José Manuel Carriles (-1), who entered through the qualifying round, has been brilliant. They are among the top twenty and with the head of the tournament within reach. Both rounds have been characterised by the absence of mistakes. Carriles has only made one double bogey and three birdies and Martín has only made two bogeys, coupled with a birdie and a magnificent eagle on hole 12.
Martín and Carriles have saved the day for the Armada, as the start of Miguel Ángel Jiménez (+5), José María Olazábal (+5) and Carlos Balmaseda (+6) has not been good. The three are against the ropes and will have to play very well this Friday to make the cut. They have margin, but they will have to play at least at par, unless the conditions are much worse than those experienced today in Fife county.
