GOLF/DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC: Thomas Bjorn gave Colin Montgomerie a lesson in concentration yesterday in the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic. Montgomerie outplayed the Dane from tee to green around the Emirates course yet was four shots adrift of his Ryder Cup team-mate at the end of the day.
Bjorn shot a five-under-par 67 to share the lead with Robert Karlsson of Sweden. Ernie Els, the Swedes Olle Karlsson and Niclas Fasth, Charlie Wi of South Korea and the Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance were a stroke behind on 68.
Bjorn is the defending champion here. He won the title last year after going head-to-head with the world number one Tiger Woods for all four rounds.
He eventually saw off Woods and Padraig Harrington by two shots. Yesterday Harrington was clearly best of the Irish on 70, only three shots off the lead.
Bjorn (31), is playing his first event of the season after suffering a shoulder injury last year.
However, he has one major advantage over the rest of the field: he spends his winters here and knows the Emirates course like the back of his hand.
That proved helpful yesterday as Bjorn made the most of a round that probably should have been closer to par. He was drawn with Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam, and the Scot wasted no time in telling the Dane that he was getting away with murder.
"The score was fantastic for the way I played, as Monty kept reminding me out there," Bjorn said. "It was just friendly banter. Obviously Monty played some really nice golf today and didn't get his just rewards.
"Seeing guys he is playing with are not playing too well and he is playing nice, and everything happens for us and not for him, is hard to take.
"I've said it a hundred times and I've said it to him as well, stick your head down and get on with your golf because that is the only thing you can do anything about. You can't do anything about anyone else except just play your golf.
"That is probably the best approach he can take when he goes to the United States."
The Dane admitted to feeling nervous standing on the first tee. "I was very nervous early on and the decisions on shots were hard to take."
However, he drew on his knowledge of the course to fashion five birdies and no dropped shots.
"I do feel that over the week I get away with more stuff than other people because I know how the course reacts," he admitted.
On a course playing appreciably longer and harder this year, Harrington's 70 left him two shots clear of the next-best Irishmen, Darren Clarke and Ronan Rafferty, who both shot 72s.
The British Amateur Open champion Michael Hoey and Des Smyth shot 74s, and former winner Eamonn Darcy a 77.
"I felt good today," said Els, who showed no signs of the exertions of last week after holding off a charging Woods to win the Genuity Championship at Doral.
The South African fired a four-under-par 68 thanks to five birdies and only one dropped shot.
"The celebrations and all that stuff was done and dusted. It is a new week and I really just wanted to come out and play as good as I can. I like the golf course and everything and I feel like I want to play.
"It's not like I've got a hangover from the previous week and I'm not ready. I'm ready to play."
Victory on Sunday would be Els' third in a row in strokeplay tournaments - he won the Heineken Classic in Melbourne on the European Tour before playing in the World Matchplay in California a fortnight ago.
Torrance was playing his first event of the year after undergoing keyhole surgery on his left knee and admitted: "I was a bit nervous on the first tee,"
Last year was his poorest season ever, and he wants to make amends.
"The Ryder Cup is all done with. My job's done, apart from the layout of the course. I can get on with my life and concentrate on my own game.
"It was a bit embarrassing last year not retaining my card through the top 115 in my 30th year on tour."
FIRST ROUND SCORES
(British unless stated, Irish in
bold
)
67 - R Karlsson (Swe), T Bjorn (Den).
68 - N Fasth (Swe), E Els (Rsa), O Karlsson (Swe), S Struver (Ger), S Torrance, Charlie Wi (Prk).
69 - M Mouland, P Broadhurst, G Havret (Fra), J Bickerton, P Fulke (Swe).
70 - S Dodd, G Evans, R Muntz (Ned), A Wall, E Romero (Arg), D Park, R Bland, R Green (Aus), M Olander (Swe), S Scahill (Nzl), A Butterfield, C Pettersson (Swe), M Pilkington, P Harrington.
71 - JM Lara (Spa), S Dyson, S Luna (Spa), J Sandelin (Swe), R Jacquelin (Fra), W Bennett, I Poulter, D Botes (Rsa), B Davis, G Owen, R Gonzalez (Arg), C Montgomerie, N Dougherty, S Hansen (Den).
72 - M Brier (Aut), K Eriksson (Swe), J Spence, T Immelman (Rsa), P Eales, S Gardiner (Aus), D De Vooght (Bel), J Skold (Swe), C Hanell (Swe), C Rocca (Ita), J Rose, D Clarke, N Faldo, H Bjornstad (Nor), R Bain, M Gronberg (Swe), R Rafferty, L Parsons (Aus), M Foster, T Dier (Ger), A Hansen (Den), C Rodiles (Spa).
73 - B Lane, JM Singh (Ind), I Hutchings (Rsa), A Coltart, M Farry (Fra), J Hugo (Rsa), D Lynn, A Scott (Aus), A Pitts (USA), C Pottier (Fra), H Nystrom (Swe), I Woosnam, I Garrido (Spa), I Garbutt, J Van de Velde (Fra), D Carter, R Chapman, G Brand Jnr, P Price, P Hanson (Swe).
74 - M Maritz (Rsa), A Forsbrand (Swe), S Kjeldsen (Den), M Lundberg (Swe), G Orr, D Howell, (x) M Hoey, C Suneson (Spa), D Smyth, G Emerson, J Berendt (Arg), M James, P Baker, B Dredge, S Tinning (Den), R Russell, D Drysdale, S Webster, T Jaidee (Tha).
75 - T Levet (Fra), T Johnstone (Zim), R Ballesteros (Spa), M Davis, B Rumford (Aus), F Jacobson (Swe), S Gallacher, J Haeggman (Swe), H Stenson (Swe), A Oldcorn, M O'Meara (USA), G Hamerton, R Wessels (Rsa), D Borrego (Spa), A Atwal (Ind), T Gillis (USA), S Yates.
76 - N Vanhootegem (Bel), S Ballesteros (Spa), N Webb, J-F Remesy (Fra), A Marshall, M Lafeber (Ned).
77 - A Forsyth, P Lawrie, C Gane, E Darcy, S Little, D Fichardt (Rsa), M Mackenzie.
78 - D Lee, J Robinson, S Delagrange (Fra), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), MA Martin (Spa), R-J Derksen (Ned), D Robertson.
79 - P Sjoland (Swe), G Clark, J Kingston (Rsa), V Bhandari (Ind).
80 - A Flaherty, J Lomas.
81 - P Golding.
82 - J Donaldson, (x) T Chandradasa (Sri), J Moseley (Aus), M Roe.
