Lucky 13th
Saturday 22nd July 2006
By Jeremy Ellwood
John Senden bagged the 135th Open's second hole-in-one late Saturday morning when his tee shot rolled in like a finely judged putt on Hoylake's 198-yard 13th hole along the Dee estuary.
Yesterday afternoon the Golf Monthly crew had earmarked a spot just behind the green as one of the best on the course to catch some golf, some rays and the views across to Hilbre Island and North Wales.
Most players were faring rather less well than the Australian on Friday though with a tricky breeze sufficient to fox several into short-siding themselves in the hollow to the left of the green. With no ball-spotters in this particular areas a number of players were forced to rely on the eagle-eyed greenside crowd to guide them to their buried balls, with Japan's Yasuharo Imano getting perilously close to the long walk back before a lime-clad Darren Clarke found his Titleist 4 for him.
The 13th currently ranks the 9th hardest hole on the course for the week and second hardest par-3 behind the 6th,which is proving the 8th hardest hole overall.
