James Sugrue vowed to go Tiger hunting after breaking his Open duck with a solid opening round 71 at a blustery Royal Portrush.
The Cork amateur had the rest of his day mapped out after impressing in his early morning round alongside Darren Clarke and Charley Hoffman.
A quick bite to eat and mixing with the throng of paying punters following Woods on his afternoon round around the famous Dunluce Links were high on his to-do list.
“I want to watch a bit of Tiger,” said Sugrue, who qualified for Portrush after winning The Amateur Champion at Portmarnock just three weeks ago.
“I love Tiger, so I want to watch a bit of Tiger, then I’ll hit a few balls.
“I’m going to get some lunch, maybe go back to the apartment for a bit and then come back and watch a little bit of Tiger and do some practice.”
“Actually follow him around the course?” asked one reporter in the mixed zone.
“Yeah!” replied Sugrue, a quizzical look lighting up his face.
The 22-year-old admitted he had one thought as he teed it up in the first group with home favourite Clarke and American Hoffman.
“Don’t hit it out of bounds!” he smiled. “I was very nervous and definitely the most nervous I’ve been on a golf course.
“I looked at the grandstand and it was packed and when Darren walked up to tee off, the roar was just unbelievable. I've never heard roars like that on a golf course before.
“From the first to the 18th it was just incredible. It was unreal.
“Even hitting the second shot in, I remember we came around the corner and I said ‘that is ridiculous’. It was just packed. From end to end it was just jammed.”
Meanwhile, multiple-Major champion Padraig Harrington shot five bogeys and a double bogey to end the opening day on 4-over.
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