A tearful Thomas Bjorn set about wiping the memories of eight years ago to share the lead on the opening day of the 140th Open Championship.
Bjorn was out in the sixth group of the day and when conditions were at the hardest to record a five under par 65 on the host Royal St. George’s course in Kent.
He was then joined close to 7.30pm local time by talented England amateur, Tom Lewis who captured the recent St. Andrews Links Trophy and who won the 2009 Boys Amateur championship at Royal St. Georges.
An emotional Thomas Bjorn after carding a 65. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Bizarrely, the Dane was not in the field until late on Monday when triple Major winning Vijay Singh withdrew through back injury.
Bjorn went within a whisker of capturing the 2003 Open Championship and the last time golf’s oldest Major was staged at Royal St. George’s.
He had been leading by three strokes with three holes to play but took three shots to get out of a bunker at the par three 16th, before losing out to little known American Ben Curtis.
More recently, Bjorn experienced personal tragedy when his father passed with a lung disease.
And when the 40-year old reminded of this, he welled up in tears.
The London Sun’s David Facey, who is well known to Bjorn, politely asked: “We know you were deeply affected when your dad passed away. How much has that contributed to your struggles? And was there a point maybe during today’s round where you might have thought how proud he would be?
Bjorn paused, and with tears in his eyes, replied: “Well, he meant a lot to me.
“He would have been very proud of what I did today. That’s all I’ve really got to say.”
Bjorn’s round was his lowest ever in 41 rounds of The Open since making his debut in 1996 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
And while the future Ryder Cup Captain bogeyed the last, the effort was Bjorn’s best in an Open by three strokes since an opening 68 on day one of the 2002 Open.
However while there was some sombre moments in Bjorn’s post round press conference there was also a light-hearted occasion.
Thomas Bjorn delighted to walk off the 16th without finding 'Bjorn's Bunker'. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
It was Bjorn’s delight in seeing his tee shot at the par three, 16th narrowly avoided ‘Bjorn’s Bunker’ from where he holed out for a birdie two.
“I thought, the shot was going to struggle so when it just made it over that bunker, that was just a smile of knowing that things were going my way today,” he said.
But when asked if the hole owes him anything, Bjorn replied: “The 16th owes nobody anything, and no hole in golf does, and no golf course does.
“I played that Open and I played fantastic the whole week.
“I tried to hit the right shot every single time, and I didn’t hit the right shot on 16. That happens in golf. That’s the nature of this game. You’ve just got to deal with them things.
“Today I was in between clubs, I was in between a little 8 and a big 9, and I went for the big 9, and when it started climbing a little bit on the wind, I thought it was in trouble.
“I thought it was going to struggle to carry that bunker, and it just did and rolled down nicely.
“I just holed two decent putts on 14 and 15 and I went down and rolled that one in.
“That gives you the trust and belief that sometimes things can turn out your way, and it does that in links golf.
“We all know what it’s like; a bounce here or there and then it goes either wrong or right.
“And today it went my way.”
