Top U.S. golfer left looking for an emergency caddy at the Open after his blonde wife decides the weather is well below par

But the terrible wet and blustery conditions came as a shock to one of the world's best golfers...and his blonde wife at the Open Championship yesterday.

When Brenda Calcavecchia - spouse and caddy to former champion Mark - failed to turn up for work yesterday many commentators joked the glamorous blonde had taken one look at the conditions and simply refused to go out on to the course.

Happier times: Mark Calcavecchia and wife Brenda walk up the 18th fairway at the Open Championship ay Hoylake in 2006

Lone figure: Mark Calcavecchia takes to the Royal Birkdale links this morning without his wife

Forecasters recorded 25mph average winds, with gusts topping 33mph at times.  Heavy bursts of rain and chilly temperatures of just 14C (57f) - also added to the very testing conditions.

Whatever the reason for her absence, her 48-year-old husband had a face as black and thunderous as the skies when he stepped on to the first tee to begin his round at around 7.30am.

The American, whose wife is his regular caddy, was forced to find an emergency replacement at the 11th hour to take over her duties instead.

A source at the course said: 'The weather was awful and many commentators were joking that Brenda had simply refused to go out in the wind and rain.

'Rumours were rife that they'd had a furious row about it.

'Calcavecchia had a face like thunder when he arrived at the first tee.

'Brenda usually caddys for him and did so during his practice session on Wednesday. But when it came to playing the real thing yesterday she failed to show and he had to find a local lad to replace her.

'He can't have been to happy about it, the new caddy would have no idea of his game.

'A caddy is not just someone who carries a player's clubs. They are essentially an extension of their right arm, they know all the little nuances of a player's game and advise them which club to use and shot to play. Calcavecchia went out at a disadvantage before he even began to tackle the weather conditions.'

Calcavecchia has been a professional golfer for nearly three decades and won the Open in 1989.

A former member of the US Ryder Cup squad, he married his second wife, Brenda Nardecchia, at Lake Como, Italy, in May 2005 during a break from the Italian Open.

Lovely day out: Spectators huddled by the 9th green during the first round of the British Open Golf championship

Gray day: Fans watch play under a dark sky this afternoon

The couple had met four years previously at a golf tournament in Miss Nardecchia's home state of Ohio and she began caddying professionally for him.

A spokesman for the Open said: 'Mrs Calcavecchia was due to caddy for her husband on the first round but didn't.

'We're not exactly sure of the reason why she didn't, but he had to get a replacement at the last minute. One of the caddy master's assistants, who usually caddys at St Andrews stepped in instead.'

Sources at the Open said Welshman Peter Rees, an relatively inexperienced caddy from the St Andrews course, Scotland, who spent the rest of the day collecting golfing bibs at the 18th hole, only agreed to carry Calcavecchia's clubs 'very reluctantly' because he had no caddy just half an hour before his round was due to start.

Gimme shelter: South African golf star Retief Goosen does his best to stay out of the driving rain

'It is all a bit of a mystery,' the source said. 'The only two people who know what happened yesterday morning are Mr and Mrs Calcavecchia themselves.

'The caddy who stepped in was worried about caddying for a former open champion because he felt he didn't have the experience and only did so because there was no-one else to do it.'

Despite his caddy problems, Calcavecchia shot a reasonable six over par 76 yesterday.

But he refused to talk to the press after his round and stormed off the course back to his hotel without elaborating on his wife's absence.

Calcavecchia, who has two children from a previous marriage, doesn't have much luck with caddies. His previous caddy, Eric Larson, spent almost 11 years in jail after being caught dealing cocaine.

Wet and weary: England's Paul Casey makes his way round a wet course this afternoon