Sport

Oldcorn returns to form

Andrew Oldcorn, just 10 days after his career-changing Volvo PGA victory, had six birdies in a row in taking a share of the first…

Fri Jun 08 2001 - 01:00

Andrew Oldcorn, just 10 days after his career-changing Volvo PGA victory, had six birdies in a row in taking a share of the first round lead with young Australian Adam Scott at the Forest of Arden.

While playing partner Lee Westwood crashed to a five over par 77 in the windy conditions - and then quashed talk of him having back trouble like Colin Montgomerie - the 41-year-old Scot returned to his Wentworth form with a five-under 67.

It was one of only a handful of sub-par rounds on a day that also saw Montgomerie manage just 76 and Darren Clarke, winner the last two years, a 74.

Oldcorn finished only 66th at the British Masters in the immediate aftermath of his PGA success, but said: "Last week was harsh. Don't get me wrong. It was a nice problem to have and everyone was so generous and so kind. But it was a bit of a distraction and I was physically shattered by the time the weekend came around."

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A mere one over with seven holes to play, a two-putt birdie at the 560-yard third was the start of his brilliant run.

But he was the first to admit it took a fluke to keep it going. Having missed the green at the short fifth, he thinned his chip and reckoned it was going 30 or 40 feet past the hole when it clattered into the flag and dropped in.

He might have finished his round with seven successive birdies, one short of the tour record, but pulled a 10-footer a fraction wide at the ninth.

"I'm enjoying where I am now, I really am. It's taken a whole lot of tension out of my golf game (winning £333,330) and if I make the Ryder Cup it will be the highlight of my career and I know I won't feel uncomfortable to be there."

Montgomerie had pulled out of the eve-of-tournament proam to receive treatment on his sore back. "I wish I could use that as an excuse (for how he played), but I can't," he said. "The physios did a good job and I feel fine."

Scott is the 20-year-old whose swing is modelled on Tiger Woods and who is also coached by Butch Harmon. He had a 50footer among his six birdies.

Van Phillips hit the shot of the day - and earned a week at a Marbella hotel and a bottle of champagne for it. Phillips holed-in-one with a four-iron at the 209-yard 18th and with it went to three under. He still had the front nine to play, however, and fell back to level par.