Nick Dougherty’s troubles continued today on the first day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with the former champion posting a ’12’ on the par four, 18th at Carnoustie and one of three venues hosting the event.

The Liverpudlian commenced his round from the 10th and was playing the 18th as his ninth hole.

He was three over par standing on the tee but proceeded to put two balls out-of-bounds on route to posting an eight over par score for the hole and slump to the tail of the field on 11-over par.

Dougherty captured the event in 2007 but suffered a serious form slip in 2011 and has since been able to recreate the form that earned the very affable Englishman three Tour victories.

And New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, who has struggled just as bad as Dougherty has withdrawn after just five holes.

Campbell badly twisted his ankle on the sixth hole and moments after a birdie at five to move back to one under par.

It is the third occasion in as many events the 2005 US Open champion has withdrawn from a European Tour event.  He suffered a bout of food poisoning proir to teeing-up in the Omega European Masters while he then withdrew after posting an opening score of 73.

Campbell had been competing at Kingsbarns alongside newly appointed R & A Captain, Sandy Dawson.he