Day one digest: 2020 ISPS HANDA UK Championship

Everything you need to know from day one at The Belfry.

Walters went low, Lawlor had a life-changing day, the Willetts were in sync and it rained and rained and rained on day one of the 2020 ISPS HANDA UK Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from the first day of the final event of the UK Swing.

Walters cuts the mustard

It's fair to say the UK Swing has been a frustrating experience so far for Justin Walters. After showing some understandable rust at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood, he then went on to miss the cut by a single shot at three of his four next four events. But the South African is famed for the way he tackles adversity after twice keeping his card at the final eligible event of the season, and on Thursday he posted a sensational bogey free 64 to open up a three shot lead at eight under. He was even threatening the course record but will have been glad to get to play his final three holes in level par as the heavy rain set in. "I came back out here, and I was confident," he said. "Felt like I was going to have a good run. Missed three cuts by one, made one cut and didn't finish very high. It's been really disappointing to say the least, but that's golf. Every time you expect something from it, it shows you otherwise. Just changed my outlook a little bit and freed it up. If it was going to work it worked, if it didn't there's not much I could do about it."

And what a way to do it

Walters was level with Bernd Wiesberger at six under when he got a mud ball on the 15th and sent his second into the rough. Then he did this.

When it rains, it pours

...........and we mean pours. The Belfry is a world class venue and is designed to take most things the elements can throw at it but sometimes you just have to accept what Mother Nature gives you. From the heavy downpour starting, it was less than two hours before the players had to come off. Once the heavy stuff stopped, it took the remarkable groundstaff only around an hour to get the players back out there and our plucky pros played right up until dark. A great effort all round.

Team Willett assembles

Danny Willett saw the chance to have wife Nicole on the bag this week as a win-win situation. It allowed him to give usual caddie Sam Haywood a week off and also allowed the Willetts to have some time alone together. “This week is one where I said, you know what, my wife and I haven’t had more than two hours alone in seven months – we’ve had the kids on our own (in America) since January – so I said we’ll use this to have a bit of time together on our own," he said before getting under way on Thursday. “She has never caddied for me before. We played golf together in the States and a couple of times back here. She’s a bit nervous, she doesn’t want to get anything wrong." Well it looks to us like Mr and Mrs Willett had a great time as Danny shot a 72. They got in before the worst of the weather, too.

Lawlor makes history

Brendan Lawlor has been making a name for himself in the golfing world for a while and on Thursday he took the next step in his incredible journey. After winning the 36-hole EDGA Scottish Open in 2019 last summer, he turned professional in September and the 22-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD). And now, the Irishman - who has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs - has become the first professional disability golfer to compete on the European Tour after an opening 84. "The coverage over the last few days, people texting and on Instagram, looking at EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association). That's the reason why I'm here this week. It's really incredible," said Lawlor, who is playing on an invite from ISPS HANDA. "It's a week to change my life and other people's lives, so just go out and enjoy it and that's what I did. I didn't have any expectations of scores. I'm just so grateful to be competing on the same stage as these guys and getting opportunities like this."