When searching for the glamour tie of the morning in the third round of the Open at Royal Lytham, you need look no further than the pairing of Jose Maria Olazabal and Michael Campbell. It's just a shame their starts were far from glamorous.
The first of 70 players who qualified for the weekend teed-off at 9:15.a.m. while Olazabal and Campbell started five groups behind shortly after 10a.m. this morning.
The New Zealander opened with a bogey four, added another at the fourth, and has now dropped back to three-over.
Olazabal meanwhile, has done nothing fancy by opening with five straight pars to remain one-over for the Championship.
Things were not so dull for Frenchman Thomas Levet who won the British Masters last month. His bizarre start to the third round comprised bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, eagle, double-bogey, bogey.
What he would give for a par to steady this ship right now. The see-saw start leaves the 32-year-old four-over after eight holes.
David Dixon, the only amateur left in the field, has secured the silver medal irrespective of what he scores over the weekend. Winner of the Lytham Trophy last year, Dixon shot 65, 69 at St Annes Links at the start of the week to automatically qualify.
Dixon is well placed on one-under and has to wait until 12:25 to get his third round underway.
The leader Colin Montgomerie on seven-under tees off at 3:15 with Sweden’s Pierre Fulke, while Des Smyth is the latest of the Irish to start. The 48-year-old moved to three-under after yesterday’s dazzling 65 and starts at 2:25 with Brad Faxon.
Darren Clarke starts at 2:05, Padraig Harrington at 12:35 and Paul McGinley is in the group in front at 12:25 alongside the amateur Dixon.