EUROPEAN TOUR: Get A hole-in-one at the par-three 11th in the Portuguese Open's final round on Sunday and you win a diamond-studded gold and platinum tee-peg worth around £300,000.
But the rattlesnake - appropriately a diamondback - coiled around the two-inch tee-peg and presented in a thick glass case, can snooze on. Events yesterday at Vale do Lobo in the Algarve hinted that aces will be more than rare on Henry Cotton's spectacular signature hole.
In the calm of early morning the tournament pacesetter, Carl Pettersson of Sweden, went within an inch of holing out with a four-iron at the 224-yard cliff-top hole en route to a fine opening 66.
The Italian veteran Costantino Rocca also made two there, then proceeded to slam three balls out of bounds from the rough at the next to tot up a 10.
Pettersson finished with a 66 and a four-shot lead over four men who managed to battle through the elements to finish on 70: Bradley Dredge of Wales, Gary Evans and David Gilford of England, and Finland's Mikko Ilonen.
Subsequently play was suspended for more than two hours after the former Ryder Cup player, Peter Baker, called out rules officials when his ball refused to stay still on the putting surface as a near gale blew up off the Atlantic Ocean.
The catalogue of disasters continued after the resumption, with Pettersson's compatriot Klas Eriksson hitting out of bounds three times to take 13 at the 14th. Stephane Ferreira signed for an 18-over 90, while his fellow Portuguese Daniel Silva staggered to the turn in 50. The 1992 Jersey Open champion, who dropped 13 strokes in his first six holes, hit back, however, with two back-nine birdies.
Best of the Irish was Philip Walton, who was level par after 11 when the day's play finished.
With wet and windy weather forecast at the 7,000-yard amalgam of the resort's Royal and Ocean courses over the weekend, the chances of 72 holes being completed by Sunday look decidedly slim.
Guardian Service
FIRST ROUND SCORES (Irish in bold, Brit unless stated, par 72): (x) denotes amateurs (66 players to complete first round today after 2hrs 5mins delay due to high winds): 66 - C Pettersson (Swe), 70 - D Gilford, B Dredge, M Ilonen (Fin), G Evans, 71 - S Dodd, A Sherborne, 72 - M Eliasson (Swe), A Forsyth, H Nystrom (Swe), V Phillips, M Reale (Ita), G Owen; 73 - B Davis, T Levet (Fra), N Kalouguine (Fra), J Haeggman (Swe), G Clark, M Angel Martin (Spa); 74 - N Vanhootegem (Bel), G Emerson, A Hansen (Den), (x) Z Scotland, R Chapman, D Drysdale, A Mednick (Swe), M Olander (Swe); 75 - M Siem (Ger), M Nilsson (Swe), W Riley (Aus), J Milkha Singh (Ind), J Skold (Swe), C Rocca (Ita), S Torrance, S Walker, D Carter, E Boult (Nzl), G Hamerton; 76 - P Dwyer, R Russell, A Col tart, R Jacquelin (Fra), M Foster, E Simsek (Ger), S Grewal, W Bennett, P Broadhurst, J Holmes; 77 - I Poulter, D Park, D Edlund (Swe), D Delfortrie (Ned), S Luna (Spa), G Fox, D Lee, G Storm, P Baker; 78 - JF Remesy (Fra), R Rafferty, A Butterfield, R Coles, D Lynn, D De Vooght (Bel), P Mitchell; 79 - O Karlsson (Swe), J Dias (Por), S Khan, R Bland, A Sobrinho (Por), M Lundberg (Swe), M Lafeber (Ned), J Hugo (Rsa); 80 - M Farry (Fra), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), J Carvalhosa (Por), G Brand Jnr, B Lane, M Roe, M Mackenzie; 81 - A Marshall, P Fowler (Aus), M Florioli (Ita); 82 - S Walker, S Struver (Ger), P Eales; 83 - H Bjornstad (Nor), 84 - M McLean; 90 - S Ferreira (Por); 91 - K Eriksson (Swe). Rtd: M Pinero (Spa). Irish scores: P Walton level par after 11; D Smyth +3 after 16; D Higgins +4 after 11.
