English journeyman Daniel Brown birdied the final gap to card a first-round 65 and lead the British Open by one shot from Eire’s Shane Lowry on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Brown, a one-time European Tour winner who got here by qualifying to earn his place within the yr’s remaining main, took benefit of benign late circumstances.
He sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the final to maneuver prime of the leaderboard with a bogey-free spherical.
“It did get darkish on the market and bought a bit of bit difficult however the wind dropped as effectively,” Brown informed reporters.
“You’ve bought these vivid yellow scoreboards on the market so it’s arduous to overlook, however I felt snug with my sport.”
Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, birdied the final gap to finish a flawless five-under-par 66 and transfer two photographs away from American Justin Thomas, who took the early clubhouse lead on the 152nd Open with a 68 at a blustery Royal Troon.
“Really, I holed a putt on the market in the present day and I believed that’s the primary time I’ve led the Open for 5 years,” Lowry informed Sky Sports activities.
“I really like this event and I’d dearly love to offer myself an opportunity to win it once more. If I can maintain holing putts I might be harmful.”
American Xander Schauffele, Swede Alex Noren, England’s Justin Rose and Joe Dean, American Russell Henley, Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes completed on two beneath with world primary Scottie Scheffler amongst a gaggle an extra shot again.
A number of massive names struggled, nevertheless, in testing circumstances on the Ayrshire coast, not least US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau who was six over after 11 holes earlier than making eagle on the sixteenth to complete at 5 over.
POOR START
World quantity two Rory McIlroy additionally endured a poor begin to his bid for a fifth main title after carding a depressing 78.
Thomas, who has by no means had a top-10 end on the Open and missed the minimize final yr, birdied the second, fourth and seventh in addition to the Postage Stamp par-three eighth.
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A double-bogey six on the twelfth and a bogey at 13 stalled his progress however he holed a 17-foot par putt on the fifteenth and birdied the final two holes.
“I performed so effectively in the present day however gave a pair again initially of the again 9,” former world primary Thomas stated.
“I’m taking part in very well and feeling assured about my sport. It’s good to get off to a great begin in a significant.”
Northern Eire’s McIlroy bogeyed the primary and dropped two photographs on the Postage Stamp as his bunker escape rolled again into the cavernous sand lure.
Issues bought worse when he bogeyed the tenth and he emerged with a double bogey on the eleventh after hitting his tee shot out of bounds over the railway monitor skirting the course.
Defending champion Brian Harman uncharacteristically endured an up-and-down entrance 9 with two birdies and three bogeys earlier than ending on two over par.
Massive galleries headed for dwelling favorite Robert MacIntyre who was joined by Spain’s Jon Rahm and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
Final week’s Scottish Open winner MacIntyre began solidly however undid an early birdie with a missed par putt on the fifth and completed on one over, one shot forward of Rahm, as Fleetwood struggled to a spherical of 76.