For much of the first day of the 152nd British Open, it felt impossible to rationalize what had happened. The scale of the fireworks on the final day of the 2016 Royal Troon Open left every onlooker in awe. Henrik Stenson’s match against Phil Mickelson feels like golf’s rumble in the jungle.
Back in Dreich Ayrshire, amid rare winds and occasional storms, carnage ensued. The undeniable club front-runner after round one is the venue itself. It’s up to others to evaluate the entertainment value attached to it. Tren was scared.
Tiger Woods’ latest loss came as no surprise, but attention was raised elsewhere. Rory McIlroy, 78. 43, shot 80 on the front nine. World No. 272 Daniel Brown moved forward on his debut and strode to the top of the leaderboard as the night wore on. It’s been a strange day.
“There’s those bright yellow scoreboards, so it’s hard to miss [where you are], but I feel comfortable with my game,” Brown said. “I’m excited, but you have to keep your feet on the ground. I’ll go out tomorrow and do my best.
On the par-71 course, the average score is 75. Hatton didn’t show howling or rave-ing, but he did shed some light on what made the circumstances so dire.
“I don’t think you can boil it down to one thing, I think it’s a combination,” Hatton said. “The conditions were difficult anyway. There were a couple of holes that were obviously very long. Unfortunately that’s the way it is at the moment, they just seem to be trying to extend it to make it harder, which I don’t think makes it any better Become the most enjoyable test.
“They didn’t put any tee boxes out front. You can’t get to the par 5s on the front nine. [in two]. On the par-5 16th, you hit a four-iron. Tell me about a good par 5 where you can hit a four-iron off the tee. none.
Smith, who raised the claret jug in 2022, was more candid. “This is so cruel,” the Australian said. The counterargument is that the modern golfer should be able to handle serious challenges.
No one has read Sean Lowry’s torture script. While other luminaries were licking their wounds, the 2019 champion rushed to the forefront of the proceedings — which proved to be short-lived.
Lowry didn’t drop a shot in his first-round 66. ft. place. “I’m happy, but it’s just one day,” Lowry warned. The last time he finished under par on Thursday at the Open, he won.
What’s most surprising is the identity of the player who surpasses Lowry. Brown, 29, came to this major having made six cuts in his eight starts. He laughed in the face of fame as he pieced together a bogey-free 65.
Justin Thomas was minus-three. Alex Nolen, Nikolai Hoygaard, Mackenzie Hughes, Justin Rose, Russell Henry and Xander Schauffele are all two under. Adam Scott and Brooks Koepka were among the later teams. So did Scottie Scheffler after birdieing two of his final three holes. Scheffler’s presence will draw anxious glances from others on the court.
McIlroy’s troubles started with stamps. The Northern Irishman took a bolder line than recommended on the iconic par 3 and watched his ball slowly sink into a greenside bunker. A terrible location. He tried sliding off the sand for the first time and then got back on his feet. By the time McIlroy came on, he was already five shots off double bogey.
On the 11th, the situation worsened further. McIlroy pared back his tee shot until last reported his ball rattled over the carriage on the 11.35 Scotrail service from Ayr to Glasgow Central. Cue two more shots falling. At this point, McIlroy looks as if he would rather get a root canal than walk the links in Ayrshire.
McIlroy’s demeanor as he signed off at seven over par spoke louder than the words that came out of his mouth. He was asked if his past recovery meant he still retained hope for glory. His face clearly said: No. McIlroy’s battle here on Friday involves surviving the final 36 holes.
DeChambeau, who beat McIlroy at the U.S. Open last month, found himself in the same predicament before making an eagle on the 16th hole from a different zip code. DeChambeau has yet to deal with the vagaries associated with British seaside golf, and to be fair, he readily admits that.
“It’s a tough test,” DeChambeau said. “There’s something I’m not familiar with. I’ve never played it. I finished eighth at St. Andrews; I can do that when it’s warm and there’s no wind.
“I could have thrown in the towel after nine o’clock and said, ‘I’m going home.'” But no, I have a chance tomorrow. I’m excited about this challenge.
Woods limped to a 79.
As a competitor, Woods’ end is certainly near. In the specific context of this tournament, he may be in good company.
