Thursday's St Andrews diary

She was vacationing in London. I don't know why. Maybe because the weather is so great.
Tiger Woods explains why his mother was in London at the time of the terrorist attacks but fails to see the sunny side of our temperate climate.

It put the whole game in perspective. What happened in London a week ago, and also Padraig Harrington, his father passed away, I thought to myself, why cry over spilt milk? The game is only a game.
Michael Campbell, who had just hit a ball into the bushes before the two-minute silence for the victims of the London attacks started, puts into words what everyone at St Andrews was feeling at noon.

If I was watching I don't think I'd be out there that early. I don't think you can even get a beer that early, can you? You certainly can't spectate without a beer.
Mark Calcavecchia makes a compelling argument for day-night golf.

A little bit. I'd be mad to say no. My legs went a little bit when my name was announced first and I knew I was hitting the first shot. It was a nice moment, though.
Simon Dyson gives a coherent account of his frame of mind when leading the tournament off, but completely fails to show any remorse for wearing pink trousers.

It's ominous who's on top of the board. Ominous.
Colin Montgomerie was in such a sunny mood in his press conference that nobody had the heart to tell him that it's Tiger Woods who's on top of the board.

Sleep. When I get up, I'll go do what I did today.
Jack Nicklaus clearly feels it is safe now to tell his rivals what he does before a round.

A little different - there was no one at Renfrew.
Scottish amateur Eric Ramsay shows his sense of understatement is as good as his golf after being asked how the galleries at St Andrews compared to those at his Open qualifier.

I don't take it any differently. Obviously the bookies didn't either.
Defending champion Todd Hamilton assures us it's just another tournament and lets the oddsmakers know he has no hard feelings about being 200-1 to win this week.