For the First Round of the British Masters. After home favorite Danny Willett withdrew due to a back injury, Luke Donald hoped to get off to a strong start, and give the crowd at Chandlers Cross a reason to make some noise. But the former World Number One would struggle through a rough opening session, leaving him in danger of missing the cut instead.
Donald putting for a bogey at 13, but burns the lip of the cup. So it's gonna be a double bogey for the 38-year-old. He ends the day tied for 110th place, with an ugly six-over-par 77.
Marc Warren with a fairway wood for his approach on the par five second hole, a soaring shot that just clears the bunker for a soft landing on the green that sets up a tap in eagle. The Scot is tied for the lead at minus-five, alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Mikko Ilonen, and Richard Sterne.
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick hoping to retain the trophy as he takes his second shot at 14. The Englishman watching as the ball rolls into the spot where he would drain the second of his three birdies. But he closes out the session tied for 29th place, at one-under-par.
The man in black at the top of the screen is Alexander Noren, and he's putting for a long eagle on the 18th green. The ball is right on target, as it soon finds the bottom of the cup, and the Swede is tied for fifth, at minus-four.
Right there with him is Lee Westwood, who chips from the rough at the edge of the bunker near 15. The ball then rolls just past the flag to set up the fifth of the Englishman's six birdies. He's also got a piece of fifth place.
"I think my attitude was good today and I have been working on a couple of things in the swing. Trying to get a swing thought -- looking back at old videos of when I played well, and got into good positions, and trying to remember what I was doing then -- and I managed to implement that today," said Lee Westwood, tied for fifth place (-4).
So the top four golfers all signed cards of 66, leaving the quartet at five-under-par. They sit one stroke ahead of Westwood, Noren, Andrew Johnston, and Richard Bland. Chinese golfer Wu Ashun is one-over-par.