DiMarco and Daly's plane pain

The jet set life of a top professional golfer is not all it is cracked up to be judging by the troubles experienced by American players Chris DiMarco and John Daly on their way to the Open Championship.

DiMarco only arrived at Troon at 6.15pm on Wednesday, just 13 hours and 37 minutes before his tee off time. So his level par 71 for the first round wasn't bad considering his tale of travelling woe began with a blocked toilet on the plane bringing him from the United States.

"They ended up cancelling and kicked us off at four in the morning," he said. "The electricity failed on the next flight due to leave at nine, and that one didn't get away until one on Wednesday morning. My clubs arrived safely, but not my clothes. I had to buy a shirt to play in."

Daly, the 1995 champion, was one under despite a sore back. "I paid 4,000 bucks to come over here and it was one of the worst first-class flights I've ever had. I felt like I was sitting in a coach and I think I slept wrong on my back. There was a big knot and every time I bent over I couldn't breathe. But the guys in physio turned the pelvis and spine and popped it."