Garcia holds on to lead

Just as Garcia putted out on the 18th to complete a level par 71 for a six under halfway total, a few hundred yards away Woods was hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds.

Using an iron for position, the defending champion hit a wild hook into the Barry Burn left of the fairway and had to play three off the tee.

It was reminiscent of his opening tee shot into a lake in the Ryder Cup at the K Club last year, and also not the first time he had been forced to reload on the first hole in the Open.

Four years ago at Sandwich the 31-year-old lost a ball in heavy rough and ran up a triple bogey seven. He went on to finish just two shots behind shock winner Ben Curtis.

This time he escaped with 'just' a double bogey six and repaired some of the damage instantly with a birdie on the second, but further bogeys at the fifth and eighth left the defending champion one over at the turn, seven off the lead.

Ireland's Paul McGinley, second overnight after a 67, also got off to a bad start with three dropped shots in three holes, but a birdie on the fourth stopped the rot and left him two under par.

Garcia's nearest challenger was now Korea's KJ Choi, winner of two of his last three events, who was five under with three to play.

Fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez was safely in the clubhouse after a 70 which owed much to playing the daunting closing stretch in two under par with birdies on the 14th and 16th.

Former US Open champion Jim Furyk was two under after a second straight 70 while England's Lee Westwood was one under after a 70.