World quantity 354 Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark, China’s Li Haotong and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick shot four-under-par 67s to share the British Open first-round lead in robust circumstances at Royal Portrush on Thursday.
World primary Scottie Scheffler was one stroke adrift after a 68, and Rory McIlroy made a stable begin to his bid for a second Claret Jug after recovering from a nervous bogey 5 on the first gap.
That was three pictures higher than he managed within the 2019 Open at Portrush, however not what his legion of followers had hoped for after the world quantity two grew to become the sixth participant to finish the Grand Slam by successful this 12 months’s Masters.
The Northern Irishman regained his composure to birdie the second and fifth holes and get to at least one beneath par.
After early sunshine on the Dunluce Hyperlinks, heavy rain made life troublesome for the gamers.
Qualifier Olesen sank a 40-foot birdie putt on the robust opening gap and eagled the twelfth earlier than making his second bogey on the final.
“Clearly, irritated to complete off with a bogey and never getting it up in two from there. But it surely occurs, and whether or not it occurs on gap seven or gap 18, on the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter,” Olesen stated. “I at all times really feel like if I play my sport that I can do effectively, particularly round hyperlinks programs.”
Brutal course
Li made 4 birdies in a flawless spherical. The world quantity 111 completed third within the 2017 Open at Birkdale after taking pictures a closing 63.
American Scheffler picked up 5 birdies and was completely satisfied along with his sport regardless of bogeys on the ninth and eleventh holes as he seeks his first British Open title.
| Photograph Credit score:
REUTERS
American Scheffler picked up 5 birdies and was completely satisfied along with his sport regardless of bogeys on the ninth and eleventh holes as he seeks his first British Open title.
| Photograph Credit score:
REUTERS
“I believe I had 18 highlights immediately. I attempted to keep away from a bogey and did it, which is nice,” Li stated. “It’s very robust, brutal.”
Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, eagled the second gap and notched up three birdies.
“I simply felt like I did all the things effectively,” he stated. “Drove it effectively, strategy play was good, and chipped and putted effectively. It was simply an throughout good day.”
American Scheffler picked up 5 birdies and was completely satisfied along with his sport regardless of bogeys on the ninth and eleventh holes as he seeks his first British Open title. “Felt like I hit the ball good off the tee, and actually solely had one swing I wasn’t too pleased with on perhaps the second gap, so positively an excellent little bit of confidence for the subsequent couple rounds,” he stated.
England’s Matthew Jordan joined the American on 68.
Former world primary Lee Westwood, 52, and Dane Nicolai Hojgaard additionally started effectively with two-under 69s.
Veteran American Phil Mickelson, the 2013 Open champion, rolled again the years with a 70, together with a spectacular par-save when he holed out from a greenside bunker.
“That bunker shot that buried within the lip, after which to make it, it was clearly a variety of luck. It was loopy. I used to be simply making an attempt to avoid wasting bogey, and I acquired fortunate,” the 55-year-old stated.