He Scores for 49ers

He’s within a few months of qualifying for senior events, he has been a fixture on the PGA European Tour since players were wearing plaid Sansabelt bell-bottoms, and he’s a stroke off the lead after the first round of the 131st British Open at Muirfield.

He’s as unlikely a contender as was Rodney Pampling, who led the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, then failed to make the cut.

Des Smyth is a 49-year-old Irishman who shot a three-under-par 68 Thursday, defying history and an unfortunate turn of events that nearly kept him out of the tournament altogether.

Smyth has played in 21 British Opens. He has made the cut only six times, including last year when he finished tied for 13th at Royal Lytham. He did become the oldest winner in European tour history last year, at 48, but he has missed the cut in half of the 12 tournaments he has played in this year.

So there was no indication he was going to go out at Muirfield and beat Tiger Woods by two shots.

Particularly after Monday night. Smyth flew from Geneva to London, then after reaching Edinburgh he drove the 20 miles to Muirfield. He played nine holes, exhausted, then returned to his car for a nap while he waited for a friend.

“I put the seat down and laid in the car with one foot over the steering wheel and one foot on the dashboard,” he said.

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

He awoke 15 minutes later with a stiff back, had trouble sleeping Monday night, played the next day despite increasing pain, then sought medical help.

He was told not to play Wednesday, so he didn’t, taking anti-inflammatory medication in the hope that he would recover by Thursday.

“My only worry was that I would have to pull out,” he said. “That would have broken my heart.”

Smyth slept well Wednesday night and even surprised himself in the first round.

“I didn’t think I’d play so well,” he said.

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No one is sure what got into Mark O’Meara, but the 45-year-old 1998 British Open champion who has missed eight cuts this year turned in a two-under 69.

O’Meara birdied four of the last six holes, including the 17th and 18th, to post his best first-round score in the British Open other than his 67 in 1996 at Royal Lytham, where he wound up tied for 32nd.

Woods says he isn’t surprised O’Meara opened so well.

“Mark was hitting the ball best I’ve seen it in practice rounds

“You can see the confidence building day after day.”

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How long should it take to play a round at Muirfield? No more than four hours 20 minutes, according to a Royal and Ancient document that spells out the maximum time allowed on each hole.

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Nick Faldo turned 45 Thursday, but instead of a birthday cake, whisky maker the Famous Grouse presented him with a vintage malt. The supplier of spirits also said that if Faldo wins, the first 300 fans at the bar at the course will receive free whisky.

Look for Faldo to pick up a few extra fans this week, but the three-time British Open champion shot a 73.

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Ian Woosnam is here, but his caddie of a year ago is not. Woosnam was tied for the lead on the last day at Lytham but took a two-stroke penalty when his caddie, Miles Byrne, told him there was one too many clubs in his bag.

Woosnam bogeyed two of the next three holes and was history, tying for third.

After he opened with a one-over 72, Woosnam was asked if his caddie had counted the clubs.

Said Woosnam: “Of course he did.”

Meanwhile, Byrne is out of golf and works as a laborer at Dray, a small town near Dublin.