Open 2009: Rising young Japanese star is paired with Woods and Westwood

Published on Monday 13 July 2009 22:46

THE 138th Open Championship will begin at 6.30 on Thursday morning when Paul Broadhurst, Michael Campbell and Mark Calcavecchia are called to the first tee.

But for most media and spectators alike the action will not truly start until just after 9am, when Tiger Woods clocks on for work on the Ayrshire coast in the company of the rising young star from Japan, Ryo Ishikawa.

The presence of the 17-year-old ensures maximum publicity, with the Bashful Prince, as he is termed, enjoying the status of the Far East's brightest sporting star. Just as many cameras will be trained on him as Woods, while Lee Westwood provides the British interest in an attractive group.

Woods was absent last year at Royal Birkdale following knee surgery, and has not lifted the Claret Jug since Hoylake in 2006. He has only missed out on the title once in the last three times he has contested the Open, and so deserves his label as the bookies' favourite. The combination of world No1, Ishikawa and Westwood, perhaps the best bet for a home winner, will provide an early test for Turnberry's marshalling arrangements. The Japanese media alone will flood the fairways.

Another crowd-puller tees-off over an hour earlier. Tom Watson, two months short of his 60th birthday, is as synonymous with these links as the Ailsa Craig rock which sits off the coast, having featured in the unforgettable "Duel in the Sun" shoot-out with Jack Nicklaus in 1977.

He wrote his name across the first Open to be staged at Turnberry when he fended off the challenge of Nicklaus and returns for his penultimate Open experience in the company of another fans' favourite, Sergio Garcia. Making up their trio is someone young enough to be Watson's grandson. Italy's Matteo Manassero became the youngest-ever winner of the British amateur title last month at just 16 and is the youngest player in the Open for over 130 years.

Woods may be the world's best player, but Padraig Harrington deserves to be billed as the current Open specialist. The Irishman is gunning for a third successive title win after triumphs at Carnoustie and Royal Hoylake, and tees off on Thursday at 2.20pm in the company of two former US Open champions, America's Jim Furyk and Australian Geoff Ogilvy. Harrington is bidding to become the first golfer since Peter Thomson in 1956 to win three Opens in succession.

Thomson's hat-trick win came one year after Greg Norman entered the world. Now 54, the Australian still harbours hopes of a third Open success after his performance at Birkdale 12 months ago. He returns to the links where he won his first major title in 1986 after a third finish last year. Time has perhaps dulled the agony which Norman endured at Birkdale after he let slip a two-shot lead on the final day.

Joining him at the tee at 7.36am on Thursday are world No4 Kenny Perry and European Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson. The group before them consists of the rehabilitated former Open winner David Duval and Australia's Adam Scott.

Nine Scots are included in field made up with a wide variety of competitors, from teenagers through to old-stagers. There is even a knight in the form of Nick Faldo. Native interest will be centred on Colin Montgomerie, who hails from just up the coast in Troon. His long and often painful quest for a major title will resume at 1.20pm on Thursday. The Scot is joined by Korean KJ Choi, halfway leader a year ago, and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson.

The Saltman brothers, Lloyd and Elliot, are at opposite ends of the draw. The former begins at 10.37am, while Elliot, three years Lloyd's senior, makes his Open debut at 3.59pm. Martin Laird, who finished highest-placed Scot at the Scottish Open, is out 10.48am in the company of England's Robert Rock and Ben Crane, from the United States. Former Open winner Sandy Lyle tees off at 12.14pm, hoping for a better experience than last year when he walked off after just ten holes after extreme weather exacerbated a knuckle complaint.

The last group of Australian Terry Pilkadaris, English qualifier Steve Surry, from Trowbridge, and Japan's Koumei Oda do not get onto the course until 4.21pm.