McIlroy hails Goosen wonder shot

TURNBERRY, Scotland (Reuters) - South African Retief Goosen sparked loud cheers from the gallery and special praise from playing partner Rory McIlroy with a moment of magic in the British Open first round on Thursday.

Kneeling on the edge of a greenside bunker at the par-five 17th and facing an almost impossible lie, the double U.S. Open champion splashed out brilliantly to two feet and holed his birdie putt on the way to a three-under 67.

"I said to him: 'That's one of the best up-and-downs I've ever seen," McIlroy told reporters.

"I was saying: 'I don't know if I'd play it on my knees, take an unplayable (lie) or what I'd do with it"."

McIlroy, who began his title campaign with a 69, put the 40-year-old Goosen's escape from the sand down to his fitness regime.

"Sometimes when I've been in the gym, he's been in there and he's been stretching," said the 20-year-old Briton.

"I was walking up to the tee saying: 'All that gym work has paid off'.

"He said: 'No, I've had 20 more years to stretch than you'."

McIlroy had a lucky escape of his own when his coach came to the rescue in the rough on the par-four eighth.

"My coach Michael Bannon was searching for it and searching for it and stood up and was right on top of it," said the young Northern Irishman. "If he didn't stand up I would have had to declare a lost ball and would have made eight or nine.

"I was pretty lucky to find the ball and escape with a six."

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)