European Tour: Justin Rose suffered a one-stroke penalty that left him three shots behind leader Ricardo Santos after the opening round of the Qatar Masters yesterday.
Runner-up to Jamie Donaldson in Abu Dhabi last week, Rose had to be content with a four-under-par 68 after he was penalised a foot from the hole on the short 17th.
England’s world number four had missed his birdie attempt and was addressing the ball ready to tap in when he noticed it moved a fraction.
European Tour referee Paul Carrigill, himself a former player on the circuit, was called and with no wind to blame for the change in position he imposed the extra shot and told Rose to move the ball back before continuing.
The incident did not unsettle him, however. After holing for a bogey four the 32-year-old found the green in two at the 589-yard last and two-putted for his sixth birdie.
One of Rose’s playing partners was Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer. He was playing with Tiger Woods last Friday when the American incurred a two-stroke penalty for taking a wrong drop and missed the halfway cut because of it. Rose said he felt “completely hard done by”, but accepted the penalty was correct.
Santos finished one in front of England’s Anthony Wall, Scot Peter Whiteford and Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka.
Kaymer matched Rose’s 68, while world number five Louis Oosthuizen finished with a double-bogey seven for a 71. Sergio Garcia started his season with a 69.
Three birdies on the back nine helped Damien McGrane to a four-under-par 68 and a share off 11th spot after the first round, while Michael Hoey is on two under after a round that included four birdies and two bogeys. Peter Lawrie and Gareth Maybin both finished on level par.
US Tour: After the shock of his missed cut in Abu Dhabi last Friday Tiger Woods returns to the scene of his last Major win, five years ago, this week.
Torrey Pines near San Diego, the venue for the Farmers Insurance Open (live Sky Sport 3 from 8pm), is also where Woods has claimed six more of his 74 PGA Tour titles and before that six world junior titles between the ages of eight and 15.
When told that the 37-year-old world number two had an average of 68.6 in nearly 50 Tour rounds at the venue, defending champion Brandt Snedeker said: “That’s just phenomenal – I mean, that’s stupid.”
Woods said: “The course is on the quick side – it’s drier than we normally play it, so it will be a wonderful test.”
While Woods plays his first round on the South Course alongside Nick Watney and Rickie Fowler, over on the easier North lay-out Phil Mickelson, embroiled in a tax controversy earlier this week, tees off with Snedeker and Masters champion Bubba Watson.
Belgian Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts starts his new life as a PGA Tour member this week.
