Ian Poulter tried to dominate the fashion stakes with a waistcoat emblazoned with a large union jack across his stomach but was still outstyled by John Daly, the American. He produced a double act with his girlfriend, Anna Cladakis. Daly turned up in green, yellow and white checked trousers while she wore a matching micro miniskirt – presumably made up from the spare material left over at Daly’s tailor’s now that he has lost so much weight.

McDowell takes flight

Graeme McDowell, the Ulsterman, discovered that it is not only sinking birdie and eagle putts that will please the Turnberry galleries. When his two iron off the 18th tee went astray, his ball finished beyond the four-foot-high metal barriers keeping the crowds at bay. Initially, McDowell looked around for a gap in the railings but, egged on by fans nearby, he finally decided to jump the obstacle and received a round of applause for his efforts.

Howell skips honeymoon

David Howell, of England, could never be called conventional. Last month he married his long-time girlfriend, Emily, and then went straight back out on the European Tour while she returned to her job working for Leisurecorp, the European Tour sponsors, in Dubai. At the last count they had spent only one day together since tying the knot.

And if the BBC was to be believed, Howell’s opening 68 was not the sort of round experienced by the other 155 competitors in the field. A caption posted by the Beeb said Howell had produced five birdies, 11 pars and one bogey. But that only adds up to 17 holes, no wonder he was two under par.