His caddy was refused to enter the UK.

In the past few weeks, Harris English has been forced to create several important backup plans that he may need for this week. No matter, he still leads the open championship.

English fired a four-end 67 in Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday, which after the opening day in a five-way tie for first place.

“I was looking forward to coming this week, and I liked it very much immediately after playing,” said English. “I thought it was great how the T shots framed and you can see a lot more problems than you on a normal left course.”

And the fact that he did this with his backup caddy – technicallyThe backup of his backup power is even more impressive. The long -time Caddy of English, Eric Larson, was denied due to a previous conviction of drugs. He was convicted of 13 years in the federal prison in 1995, served a little more than 10 years and returned to Caddying on the PGA tour. (He worked before and after the prison for Mark Calcavecchia and also spent time with Anthony Kim and Jeff Overton.)

Despite the conviction that is now a few decades old, Larson has difficult to visit new travel regulations for Americans in Great Britain for Genesis Scottish Open from the past week and the open championship this week overseas. Larson has tried to get an exemption from the rules for electronic travel rights visa – applicants can be refused to enter if they have worked in prison for 12 months or more – but despite the English efforts that the PGA tour and the R&A was nothing lucky.

Joe Etter beat the Scottish Open (she on 22nd on 22nd), but Ettter is back on his pocket for his regular player Davis Thompson this week. This means that English called Ramon Bescansa, his putting trainer. They have worked with their puter and short game for about a dozen years.

“He was a kind of plan B in the books,” said English. “Obviously, Eric would hopefully come over this week. That didn't work. Then Davis Thompson came to the open at the last minute, so Joe couldn't Caddy again. Ramon was nice enough to come from Spain and Caddy for me. [Ancer] On the LIV tour. He was plagued for me years ago in Canada, so he probably knows my game and everyone in my team. He was the perfect guy who came Caddy this week. “

No complaints on Thursday.

English Birgte three of his first four and turned three under 33.

English took fifth place in Strokes: Off The Tea and was 14th in SG: Puting.

“Every player or Caddy has his different cadence, how he likes things. Fortunately for Ramon, he worked with me for so long and saw me playing, beating my balls, so he knows what I like, and I have the feeling that we got it straight from the goal,” said English. “These exercise rounds really worked on it and very well with how he provided the information.

“But it is different. Eric Caddy for me for eight or years, and they are used to making a man of how he does everything, from small things he puts the Sharpies and Markers on, and he always has t -shirts in his pocket and only small things.

The 35 -year -old English won five times on the PGA tour – most recently this year's Farmers Insurance Open – is still after his first big title. He has four top 10 starts, of which the youngest came at this year's Masters, where he was the runner -up.