JOHN DALY, last in the Open Championship, today recovered from a slow start to record a two-under-par 70 in the first round of the Inteco Russian Open.
Former champion Daly carded rounds of 80 and 89 to finish 29 over par at Royal Birkdale, and again struggled in the early stages at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club. Starting from the tenth, the American bogeyed the 11th and 13th and, after a birdie o
n the 14th, dropped another shot on the 16th to lie two over par.
Despite struggling with tendonitis in his left elbow which has reduced his once prodigious length off the tee, Daly was still able to take advantage of the 548-yard par-five 17th to record his second birdie of the day.
Another birdie on the par-five second hole was quickly followed by a bogey on the third, and the two-time major winner then failed to take advantage of the par-five fifth, missing from ten feet for a birdie.
However, a superb approach to three feet on the sixth was converted for a birdie and sparked a superb finish from the 42-year-old. Birdies at the seventh and ninth followed to see Daly home in 33 and on target to make his second halfway cut from four appearances in regular European Tour events this year.
South African Darren Fichardt had set the clubhouse target on six under par after a 66, although Sweden's Joakim Backstrom was seven under with one hole to play.
The full article contains 260 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
