GOLF:A British Open miscellany by PHILIP REID

Off the ledge: Comboy keeps G-Mac's head straight

THE putter which has served Graeme McDowell so well over the past couple of years – including guiding him to the US Open title last year and sinking the winning putt in the Ryder Cup – got a recent face-lift. And it seems to good effect, as the Ulsterman overcame an opening double-bogey to return a 68.

“It’s the same putter with a little bit more weight on the sole, and I changed the grip after about two years,” he said. “There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears on the grip. I didn’t want to change it, but I haven’t been putting well lately and I wanted to inject a little bit of magic back into the putter.”

The start to his round had McDowell wondering what was happening after a good build-up. “You’ve really got to rely on your caddie and he kept me in the moment,” said McDowell of bagman Kenny Comboy. “My head was spinning after a few holes and I really wasn’t feeling comfortable.

“My caddie keeps me on the straight and narrow and tries to say good things to me – not that I really want to listen sometimes. But he works hard trying to talk me in off the ledge, as we call it. He did that well.”

Ace: Dustin gets a break

DUSTIN Johnson – the man who blew a final-round lead in last year’s US Open at Pebble Beach and then missed out on a play-off in the US PGA at Whistling Straits after incurring a penalty when it was deemed he grounded his club in a bunker on the 72nd hole – was due a change of luck in a Major.

And it came yesterday on the 16th hole, as the 6ft 4in American holed out with his tee shot on the par three. It formed part of a superb finish of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-par which transformed Johnson’s round and gave him an opening 70.

Did the hole-in-one excite him? “I’m not very excited at all. I’m going to go home and sleep. I’m not feeling all that well, a little under the weather. My glands are swollen. I’ve got some sort of infection. I’m on antibiotics so hopefully it will go away.”

Flat cap: Matches flat round for Harrington

PÁDRAIG Harrington (right) would have preferred to talk post-round about his birdies, rather than his flat cap which – apparently – had become something of an internet sensation during his opening round.

Unfortunately for him, the birdies in a first round of 73 were few and far between as the British Open champion of 2007 and 2008 got off to a stuttering start.

As for the new look flat cap? The Dubliner wore it to raise awareness for “male cancer”.

He explained: “It’s for one of the Wilson guys, a young guy, 30 years of age, who is ill. The badge and the hat help promote awareness of the issue . . . I’ve been getting a bit of ribbing (on the range) over it, but it has been more positive than negative. But it is actually very comfortable in the wind and I would definitely wear it again in links conditions.”

SCOTLAND’S Stephen Gallacher was one of those who didn’t arrive on the south coast of England fully prepared for the arctic weather. He had to dispatch someone to buy the modern version of thermal underwear – Under Armour – and he still needed to wear two jumpers over it.