NOTEBOOK

Kelly complains: Jerry Kelly put the Royal Ancient in the same league as the U.S. Golf Association Thursday, and considering he shot 83 in the first round, that wasn’t a compliment. Kelly, who criticized the USGA over the setup at Shinnecock Hills for the final round of the ’04 U.S. Open, blamed the R A for not moving up a few tees in 30 mph wind, which he said made it impossible for him to reach four of the par 4s. “I was really surprised because the R A usually uses common sense,” Kelly said. “The weather was playable, but not with that setup. Do you want to take half the field out of the championship just because you can’t hit it far enough? Basically, if you’re not a long hitter out there today, then there are seven or eight par 5s.” Three of the holes in question were the 499-yard sixth, the 11th and the 16th hole, which are moderate in length (just under 440 yards) but required a carry of some 210 yards to reach the fairway. Vijay Singh couldn’t reach the sixth hole in two by using driver twice, both solidly struck.

Veterans day: Some of the British Open champions now on the 50-and-older circuit acquitted showed how much experience matters on the links courses, especially Tom Watson. He was the first player under par Thursday — albeit briefly after a birdie on the opening hole — but the five-time champion refused to buckle in the wind and rain and finished birdie-par for a 74. “I have plenty of experience on Open Championship courses, but in conditions like this, you have to judge the wind right,” Watson said. “I did that today. If you don’t do that and you hit some bad shots ... that’s it.” Mark O’Meara, who won at Royal Birkdale in 1998 at age 41, also had a 74 by playing the back nine in even par.

Duval stirs: David Duval has said he was close to playing well again. In conditions that expose the slightest weakness, he used the first round of the British Open to show he was serious. “I’ve been expecting some glimpses of greatness for a while,” Duval said after opening with a steady 73. Duval, who hasn’t won since the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan at the end of 2001, showed remarkable control of his shots in 30 mph wind. His best shot was a 4-iron on the 184-yard 12th hole that he held against a harsh right-to-left wind to a right hole location. The ball settled 10 feet away for one of his three birdies. “Getting the ball onto the green is success,” he said. “Hitting it within 10 or 12 feet was obviously a great golf shot.”

Wet weather: Lucas Glover played his entire round in the rain, and summed up his experience with one comment. “You know you’re at the British Open when you come inside to change rain suits,” he said.

Associated Press