Els licks Postage Stamp

By Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at Troon

Thursday's photos

Ernie Els dismissed any talk of the "Postage Stamp" hole being notoriously difficult when he aced the short par three early on Thursday morning.

The South African pitched to within a couple of feet with a wedge and span the ball back into the waiting cup.

The world number two also birdied the par-four 11th but leaked a double-bogey five at the treacherous short 17th to finish on 69 and two under.

Els took two to get out of a greenside bunker and admitted: "It wasn't nice."

He added: "It had a bit of a downhill lie but it wasn't the most difficult shot I've ever faced. I just messed it up and thinned it into the bank.

"I would have taken 69 at the start of the day but I definitely left a few shots out there.

It was definitely enough club Ernie Els on his ace

"Anything under 70 in a major championship is a pretty good score, but it could have been a little better."

Despite driving over the burn at 283 yards on the par-five 16th - normally unreachable into any prevailing wind - Els was only able to come up with a par, and he picked up just one other birdie on the long fourth.

But the 123-yard eighth hole - protected by five cavernous bunkers - was the undoubted highlight.

"It was beautiful. I was saying 'get up, get up'. But it was definitely enough club," said Els, who has had seven other aces in tournaments, including one at the 1997 USPGA at Winged Foot.

His feat on the eighth matched that of the 71-year-old American legend Gene Sarazen at the Open in 1973. He then birdied it on Friday to take just three shots for the hole in two rounds.

Vijay Singh staked his case for the title with a heartening three-under 68.

The Fijian, who has won the US PGA Championship and the Masters, is aiming to win the Open for the first time.

The 41-year-old world number three made an impressive start with birdies at the second and third holes.

He bogeyed the fifth but three more birdies and only one more bogey at the demanding 11th hole left Singh high up the leaderboard and all to play for.

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