Sloppy Turnberry finish for Finch

The 138th Open, Turnberry
Date: 16-19 July
Coverage: Live TV coverage on BBC Two, Online and the Red Button, live on Radio 5 Live and text commentary online on all four days

By Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Turnberry

Finch ponders a shot from the rough during his first round at Turnberry

Richard Finch insists he only had himself to blame as three late bogeys saw him slip to a three-over 73 on day one of the Open Championship.

Having stood at level par at Turnberry after 14 holes, he then bogeyed 15, dropped another when he found the burn on 17 and also bogeyed the last.

"The course is in good nick, and the weather's great," the Hull golfer told BBC Sport.

"So there's nothing else to blame other than a few bad shots."

Finch did admit that the pin positions are so tough that players have to take a gamble if they are to get close enough to get a few birdie chances.

"You've got to take a risk to get close," he added. "And, if you play well, you can shoot a good score.

"If you don't, then you can run up a few numbers.

"I actually set off quite nicely on the front nine," said the 32-year-old, who was in red numbers on the leaderboard when he birdied the seventh to go one under.

I definitely need to be under par tomorrow

Richard Finch

"I saw that," he grinned. "But it doesn't count for much at the end of the day.

"Having scrambled quite well round the turn, it would have been nice to put in a good finish.

"But I then bogeyed 15, then rolled back into water at 16, missed from six feet at the last and I definitely need to be under par tomorrow."

Finch, playing with 1998 Open champion Mark O'Meara, who carded a three-under 67, and Argentina's Rafa Echenique, is off again at 1225 BST on Friday.

And he admitted that the Turnberry weather could be the key as to whether he emulates last year's achievement on his first Open appearance by making the cut.

"The weather plays such a part," he said. "And someone said the weather forecast for Friday afternoon is horrendous, but then somebody else also said it would be bad today and it's actually been glorious."