• Open Championship, Plays of the Day, Round One

Dress down day at the Open Championship

ESPN staff
July 14, 2011
Ryan Moore made little effort dress-sense wise for the Open © Getty Images
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ESPN will be providing comprehensive coverage of the Open Championship, with live scores, news and all the reaction from Royal St George's

Getting down with the kids
Now ESPN is not known for its fashion sense, but even we've got a fair idea of what is and is not welcome on the course. Ryan Moore's attire is often a talking point, given he tends to come straight from his day job in the office by turning up in his shirt and tie. But he's seemingly been informed of the chav culture that is prevalent in 'Broken Britain'. As, in an apparent bid to fit in with the kids of Ramsgate, Moore rocked up at Royal St George's in a hoodie. Let's hope he did rub salt into the wounds by rocking up and taking the captain's parking space.

When an eagle is so much more
Dustin Johnson looked ill at ease for much of the day and slipped to four-over at one stage. However, he went birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie to sign for a level--par 70. But that did not tell the whole story as the eagle was a stunning hole in one on the par three 16th. With the wind howling, Johnson set the ball wide to the right and drew it in nicely. The ball pitched, skipped left and dropped into the cup.

Banishing the demons
Thomas Bjorn was proud of the mental strength he showed as he carded a first round 65 at the Open Championship on Thursday, on the same course where he infamously threw away the Claret Jug eight years ago.

In 2003, Bjorn came to the par-three 16th on Sunday with a two-shot lead and just three holes to play. But a double-bogey effectively put paid to his chances, as the unheralded Ben Curtis claimed victory. This year, however, the Dane saw a fortuitous bounce on the very same hole allow him to roll in the seventh birdie of his opening round on the way to the clubhouse lead at five-under.

Stealing the limelight
All eyes were on Rory McIlroy as the US Open champion teed off just after 9am. But five minutes or so later, it was one of his playing partners who was the talking point. Rickie Fowler, another bright young thing of golf, was off the radar as his waterproofs were covering up his usually colourful garb. But this did not hinder his golf, as he rolled in a monster putt from all of 50 feet, which tracked right to left before hitting the centre of the cup.

No pass, no play
Luke Donald may be the world's No. 1 golfer right now, but that only means he can join the long list of famous actors, popstars and sportsmen who have all been embarrassed by over-zealous security guards. Making his way to the course early in the morning to prepare for his 9.09am tee-off time, Donald absent-mindedly forgot his player's pass. No problem, he must have thought, 'As the best player in the world no doubt they'll recognise me'. No such luck. Held at the gate and viewed with suspicion, a bemused Donald had to wait until an official from the Royal & Ancient made his way back to the gate before he could be confirmed as indeed a professional golfer and indeed someone who should be allowed onto the course.

After his round, Donald was asked if he received more of a reception now he is world No. 1. "Certainly, yeah," he said. "It's recognition that I've been playing well." But not, at least as far as one security guard is concerned, recognition of what you actually look like.

Totally Japanese
Certain members of the British press might consider themselves lucky they don't have to go on some sort of register, the way they fawned over every Rory McIlroy shot during his opening round on Thursday morning, but that was nothing compared to the attention lavished on the man playing behind him, Ryo Ishikawa.

The vast majority of the Royal St George's galleries may have been following the Northern Irishman around, with a few hanging back to catch Ishikawa's playing partners Donald and Sergio Garcia, but inside the blue media ropes it was Japanese cameramen, presenters and writers focused on Ishikawa who outnumbered those for any of his rivals six or seven to one. The teenage superstar started poorly (going out in 41) but came back in style to shoot a reasonable round of 74 - which was coincidentally probably about the exact number of reporters he had waiting for him after he was finished. If the Open was a popularity contest, Ishikawa would be difficult to beat.

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