British Open 2011

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Thomas Bjorn

Thomas Bjorn, who earned the last spot in the field when Vijay Singh withdrew earlier this week, opened on Thursday with a 5-under 65 – his first round in the 60s at the event since a third-round 69 at Royal St. George’s in 2003.

 

Thursday marked just the eighth time Bjorn has posted a sub-70 score in 41 rounds at the British Open. His previous low was 68, set on three occasions and most recently during the opening round in 2002 (finished T8).

 

Bjorn returns to Royal St. George’s seeking redemption from the 2003 British Open, where he entered the 16th hole with a two-shot lead before finishing double bogey-bogey-par to finish one stroke behind champion Ben Curtis. On Thursday, Bjorn birdied the par-3 16th hole.

 

Bjorn won earlier this year at the Qatar Masters – one of 11 career victories on the European Tour.

 

Bjorn is making his 14th start at the British Open, with runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2003 among his four top-10 finishes. In all, he owns seven made cuts in 13 previous starts.

 

Bjorn’s third-round lead at the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George’s represents the only time he has led an event after any round on the PGA TOUR (84 previous starts).

 

First-Round Leader Stats

Since 1975, just five first-round leaders of the British Open have gone on to win: Tiger Woods (2005), John Daly (1995), Greg Norman (1993 at Royal St. George’s), Seve Ballesteros (1988) and Tom Watson (1980).

 

The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win just five of 28 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2011, most recently Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open.

 

The lowest opening-round score at the British Open is 63, set by Rory McIlroy at St. Andrews in 2010.

 

The best opening round at Royal St. George’s was turned in by Christy O’Connor in 1985 (64).

 

Hennie Otto led after the first round of the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George’s with a 68. He eventually finished T10.

 

Mark Calcavecchia

Making his 25th career start at the British Open, Mark Calcavecchia opened on Thursday with a 1-under 69. It represents the sixth time he has opened the event with a round in the 60s. His best opening round came at Royal St. George’s in 1993 with a 4-under 66.

 

Calcavecchia has two previous starts at Royal St. George’s, finishing T14 in 1993 and missing the cut in 2003. In all, he has made 18 cuts in 24 previous British Open starts.

 

Calcavecchia has one made cut in four previous starts on the PGA TOUR in 2011, firing all five rounds in the 60s for a T33 finish at the Bob Hope Classic. He has six top-10 finishes in 12 starts on the Champions Tour.

 

Calcavecchia will be 51 years, 1 month and 5 days old on Sunday. Julius Boros is the oldest major championship winner at 48 years, 4 months, 18 days when victorious at the 1968 PGA Championship. The oldest winner of the British Open is Tom Morris Sr., who was 46 years, 3 months and 9 days old when he won in 1867.