McIlroy sets pace as Aussies lag behind at British Open | Thebigtip

Aussies lag behind record pace - By Darren Walters in St Andrews, Scotland from foxsports.com.au

Only John Senden, Robert Allenby and major novice Jason Day managed to break par on a disappointing opening day for most of Australia's hopefuls at the British Open.

Senden is five strokes behind record-setting leader Rory McIlroy after returning a four-under-par 68, while Allenby (69) and Day (71) are also still well in the hunt after enjoying the best of the weather on a rare windless morning at St Andrews.

Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Michael Sim all posted even-par 72s and will be looking to make up lost ground when they tee off in hopefully equally benign conditions on day two.

Senden was delighted after mixing five birdies with a lone bogey on the extended par four 17th that, at 495 yards long, is now playing more like a par five.

"This is my first actual tournament day at this course, so you've got to be happy,'' Senden said.

Senden hopes he learned something from last year's Open when he missed the cut at Turnberry after following up his day-one-best 66 with a horror second-round 80.

"It's about keeping myself calm and doing good work with my processes and tomorrow's a new day,'' he said.

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