MUS DO BETTER
Scott hits sweet 67 in Muscat but insists he can improve
SCOTT JAMIESON soared to second top at the Oman Open – despite spending the first day trying to avoid the flags.
And the 35-year-old insists his unblemished five-under 67 in Muscat is merely the start.
Jamieson took a bite out of the Greg “Great White Shark” Norman designed Al Mouj track as a bogeyfree round left him tied for second.
The Scot was just one under through 11 only for four birdies in six holes to leave him one off American leader Kurt Kitayama.
Jamieson finished joint third in December’s Alfred Dunhill in South Africa only to jet into Oman for the first time in his career having missed the last two cuts.
And the world No.202 said: “It was a great day – five under – but I didn’t feel like I played particularly well.
“Bogey free, which is always good. I had five birdies so it was a lovely start.
“I drove it well and putted well. I didn’t hit my irons particularly close but that’s difficult to do BY BERNIE McGUIRE
around here. The greens are firm with a lot of run-offs – you find yourself playing away from the flags. You can’t go for it here.
“You can hit some really good shots which would just run off the side of the green then you’ll have a tough up-and-down.
“You need to stay patient, play away from the flags and hope you can hole some putts.”
Jamieson leads a field of 11 Scots, including 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie who marked his European Tour comeback after almost 11 months away with a 71.
The 50-year-old, back after an op on his foot, went out with protege David Law – who hit a 75 – and Stephen Gallacher – who shot 72 – in an all-Scottish group.
David Drysdale coped with the trickier afternoon conditions to move four under through 14 only to drop two shots on the way in.
Connor Syme, the last player into the event after being handed a late call-up, went out in four
under, which included a monster birdie three at the ninth.
But the 23-year-old endured bunker woes at the 13th – going from one sand trap to another in taking bogey – before a second dropped shot at the 15th saw him sign for a 70.
Japan’s Yusaku Miyazato joins Jamieson on five under and revealed an injury was in fact doing him a favour on day one.
Miyazato said: “My tee shots went very well and I putted nicely. I have a bit of an injury in my right foot so during the practice rounds I was hitting at 60 or 70 per cent but that seemed to be working.”
LEADERBOARD
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72) 66 – K Kitayama (USA) 67 – Y Miyazato (Jpn), S JAMIESON 68 – A Saddier (Fra), D Horsey, A Canizares (Spa), T Pieters (Bel), A Levy (Fra), R Jacquelin (Fra), S Vincent (Zim) 69 – G Moynihan, M Kieffer (Ger), J Luiten
(Ned), J Campillo (Spa) 70 – A Arnaus (Spa), M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), R RAMSAY, B Stone (Rsa), M Korhonen (Fin), M Baldwin, H Tanihara (Jpn), JB Hansen (Den), D DRYSDALE, R Rock, C SYME, C Bezuidenhout (Rsa), B Hebert (Fra), T Detry (Bel) Scots: 71 – P Lawrie, R Macintyre; 72 – G Forrest, S Gallacher; 75 – D Law, L Johnston; 77 – M Warren.