Expectant father Ross Fisher makes a fast start

Ross Fisher should get some family planning advice. His wife Jo, always seems to be expecting a baby during a major championship.

Two years ago, during the Open at Turnberry which Ross looked as though he might win for a while, he was on ‘call’ all week, ready to drop everything and fly back if she went into labour. And this week, she is once again about to give birth to their second child.

“This is different this time,” said Ross, who led every major at some point during 2009. “Last time, it was our first baby, and it was due the week of the Open. This is our second and its not due until next week.”

Fisher was in the first group of the day, and despite a wretched bogey at the 1st, where he was in the bogey right, he made five birdies on the front nine holes (2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th) to take a three shot lead.

He then sank a 50-foot curler on the difficult 11th for another birdie, and thoughts of being the first round leader entered his mind. “I feel delighted in many ways,” he said after his first round 69, “but I’m a little bit disappointed I didn’t hang on better on the back nine. I didn’t manage to birdie either of the par-5s, and then on the 17th I was in the trees left and had to lay up, and didn’t play a good chip.”

Conor Ridge Fisher’s manager said that Fisher’s short game coach Mark Roe has been telling Ross not to hit a driver at the 14th all week, and after today, Ross may just take some notice. He took a driver and hit the top of the trees on the left of the fairway, and ricocheted onto the other side of the fairway.

He had a very good birdie chance at the 15th, but eventually three-putted, missing a short one from four feet. Asked if like Turnberry, he would leave the Tournament if his wife went into labour, he said: “Last time she managed to hang on and I didn’t. let’s hope this time we can both hang on.”