LATE LEAVING COST VEGAS
CRAIG SWAN AT CARNOUSTIE
JHONATTAN VEGAS reckons his frantic dash to make The Open was like a “horror movie”.
The Venezuelan needed a last-gasp helicopter ride from Glasgow after a series of calamitous events meant he almost missed his first-round date.
Vegas had to dash onto the first tee with borrowed equipment after visa issues, courier problems, flight hassles and lost clubs. Little wonder he shot a five-over 76.
Vegas said: “It has been like a horror movie the past week. If someone tried to do it on purpose, you couldn’t manage it.
“Last Thursday, I was supposed to travel to Scotland, arrive Friday and have a few days to adjust.
“I looked at my visa and confused the dates. It wasn’t that big a deal as I could get a visa in 24 hours, so I applied Thursday morning and was supposed to get it Friday.
“For some weird reason, the people at the consulate in New York didn’t respond to the application. Then it was the weekend and they BY CRAIG SWAN contacted me on Monday morning saying I had applied for the wrong visa.
“We fixed it on Monday and it was supposed to be in Houston on Tuesday, which meant I could get a flight and still be here on Wednesday. A day to see the course.
“That didn’t happen because UPS shut down for the day. The visa didn’t leave New York. I sat in a car outside the consulate for seven hours waiting for it to show up. It didn’t.
“I got it Wednesday morning, got a flight from Houston to here via Toronto. I slept two hours on the flight. My agents got me a helicopter ride Glasgow to here, so it was planned for me to be here two hours before tee-time.
“But then my clubs decided not to show up. Luckily the equipment vans were still here. Different brands from mine. As long as I had a shot, I was going to try.
“Ask anyone if they would play in The Open showing up two hours beforehand, they’d take it.” KEVIN KISNER has spent his Carnoustie nights chapping doors to get his ball back because off-target Jordan Spieth keeps launching it over the bar and into neighbours’ gardens.
After leading the field on the first day of The Open, Kisner’s now also knocking on the door of a Major success.
Kisner is part of an all-star American house in Angus this week that is also home to defending champion Spieth, Zach Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler.
They have been whiling away their hours playing games of football in the back garden.
And Kisner joked he’s just c.swan@dailyrecord.co.uk trying to “smash the ball” off the face of Dufner, who is acting as full-time goalkeeper.
But the games also have to be stopped at regular intervals because Spieth’s wild efforts keep sailing over roofs in the street to prompt embarrassing knocks on the doors of irritated locals.
Kisner’s loving the carry-on with his mates and said: “It’s not intimidating at all.
“They’re all great people. That’s the best part about it.
“It’s really great just to hear what they have to say. We’re out there playing soccer at night and hanging out. Everybody is just really chilled and it’s a lot of fun to be around those guys. I just try to smash Duff in the face. He’s goalie all the time.
“The thing that impresses me with all those guys is, when you grew up with all your buddies, you’re pretty much best at everything. But when you get around those guys, everybody is really good.
“So it’s pretty cool to watch how athletic a lot of those guys are. Except Duff, really. No, I’m just kidding. Duff is athletic too.
“Jordan’s actually quite good at football, absolutely. Well, until he sends it over the goal to four houses away and we’ve got to go knock on neighbours’ doors to get the ball back.” As well as the kickabouts, Kisner is having a blast with his buddies and soaking-up every bit of advice.
Collectively his housemates have won eight Majors between them. In the shape of Spieth and Johnson, there are two previous winners of the Claret Jug.
Kisner may be playing in just his fourth Open but his travels and experiences have seen him spend more time with the special trophy than most, even though he’s never got near to winning it.
He said: “I spent a lot of time with Jordan and the Claret Jug. I flew home with him after he won last year and then over to Paris with him.
“I’m staying with Jordan this week and he no longer has