Golden oldie Des Smyth kept his Open dream alive at Muirfield yesterday - despite a niggling back pain that threatened to put him out of the Championship.

Drogheda hero Smyth, 49, took an anti-inflammatory pill before his round to combat shooting pains in his groin.

And it worked a treat as he fired four birdies and just one bogey in a three under par 68.

Smyth was first off with England's Peter Baker and South African James Kingston, and missing the first and making bogey, he never strayed from the fairways after that.

The man from Mornington used a special driving iron off the tee - a beefed up version of a two-iron - to keep out of the knee high rough that can wreck any round.

And it proved to be the right move as he split every fairway and stayed out of big trouble that saw his playing partners take 75 and 76 respectively.

Now Smyth is in pole position to achieve his dream and make the cut before setting any lofty goals.

"I'm thrilled," he beamed. "I had a great chance to birdie the last but I'm delighted with a 68. I have always loved playing the Open.

"There is more enjoyment for me now at my age. A lot of players come here to win and there is a lot of tension around. I went through that period but sometimes you don't perform the way you should and I'm performing better than I'm expecting.

"I am just looking around thinking how marvellous it is to be here. I love this. I suppose you have to get over 40 to even feel like that."

With 48-year-old Eduardo Romero winning last week's Scottish Open, it appears that the old guys are set to give it one last lash before they head for the Seniors Tour.

"What keeps us oldies going? I think it is all the golf we play. We play golf every single day and that keeps you sharp and competitive," he said.

Smyth got his first decent night's sleep in two days before setting off on what could be hit last Open experience.

But should he make the cut he will push for a top 15 finish and automatic exemption in 2003.

"I'm a bit stiff and a little sore now," he admitted afterwards. "I did a very silly thing on Monday after a very long day. I came from Geneva, flew to London, flew to Edinburgh, then rented at car and I decided to take a nap in the car to wait for a friend.

"I put the seat back and had one foot on the wheel and the other on the dash and I know I shouldn't have done it. I fell asleep like that for 10 or 15 minutes. I was stiff when I woke up but I didn't think anything of it.

"I had pains during the night down my leg and went and played the next day but I was hobbling so badly after the practice round that I went to the physios and they told me not to play that day at all.

"They said I could practice, but not to walk. So I did some putting, hit a few balls. I was still keen to hit a few balls last night but I didn't play yesterday.

"I felt comfortable and took an anti-inflammatory tablet this morning. My only fear was that I wouldn't be able to tee it up at all and I didn't expect to play so well."

Smyth was up at five a.m. for his 7 o'clock tee time and he was delighted to be first out for the second year on the trot.

"It wasn't as much of an advantage this time because the greens had quite a bit of dew on them and they were quite sandy. The ball was picking up sand and they were extremely slow and didn't speed up until the 11th for us."

He used the three-wood off the first tee but ran out of fairway and finished in the heavy rough by a matter of inches.

He added: "Overall it was a very good day. I bogeyed the first because it's a nerve wracking shot and also a difficult drive but I played well after that and had opportunities."

After three solid pars he fired a mid-wedge to just 18 inches at the par five fifth for a birdie and then drained a 25 footer at the next to dip under par.

"I only had a four iron to the par five ninth but only made par after hitting my second in the sand but I was never in trouble," said Smyth.

A wedge to 12 feet at the 389 yard 11th put him two under and the continued to play solid golf after that and had outside birdie chances at the 12th and par three 13th.

A stroke of luck at the par four 15th where pulled his second shot but got a kindly kick onto the green from the face of a deep bunker, kept him going and he finished par-birdie-par for a wonderful start to the Championship.

His links experience showed at the 546 yard, par-five 17th where he hit a huge drive and then used the driver again for his second, smashing the ball 265 yards to the front edge and two putting for a birdie four.

He the reduced the 449 yard 18th to a two iron and a five iron, but left this 10 footer for birdie a good six inches short.

Now the plan is to do the same again today and make the cut.

He said: "I am still not going to take any chances. I am three under par but with these courses anything can happen.

"I played with two guys today who played a lot of good golf, hit it in the rough three or four times and shot in the mid seventies.

"You only have to hit it in there three or four times for that to happen. I could do it tomorrow morning early on. I certainly won't take anything for granted out there.

"The key is to put it on the short grass. Whether you hit a three-iron or a one-iron off the tee you must be on the fairway.

"I don't think it's a big hitters course either. The key to this course is to hit it straight. Straight hitters are going to do well this week.

"Low scoring is on but you have to be careful. They have some tough pins out there and you would want to be careful. If you miss on the wrong side it's an automatic bogey."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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