TROON, Scotland — Daniel Brown had a significant championship debut he gained’t quickly overlook. He birdied two of the final three holes Thursday in The Open, giving him a 6-under 65 with simply sufficient spectators nonetheless left within the twilight of Royal Troon to rejoice with him.
It gave him a one-shot lead over Shane Lowry, who performed bogey-free for a 66 and his greatest begin in 46 majors.
Lowry at the least knew what to anticipate with an reverse wind that appeared to catch nearly everybody off guard. He got here to Troon two weeks in the past and knew what to anticipate, and it paid off handsomely for the Irishman.
The shock was Brown.
A one-time winner on the European tour, he arrived at Royal Troon having didn’t make the reduce in seven straight tournaments relationship to March till a few good occasions. One was the ultimate qualifying to earn a spot in his first main, the opposite on the Scottish Open when he made the reduce and completed 61st.
However today was all in regards to the wind — sure, it was fierce, nevertheless it was totally different. As an alternative of gamers making an attempt to make a rating on the downwind entrance 9 and maintaining it collectively on the best way again, it was powerful from start-to-finish.
Rory McIlroy definitely discovered that to be the case. He shot 78 with a pair of double bogeys. Ditto for U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who went out in 42 on his strategy to a 76. Each main is hard on 48-year-old Tiger Woods, who had a 79 for his highest begin in a significant since an 80 within the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
Lowry motored alongside, placing in addition to he has all 12 months, absorbing the nice and cozy applause all whereas reminding himself it was solely in the future. However he positive knew what to anticipate.
“Fortuitously sufficient, I got here right here two weeks in the past and I performed this wind on the second day that I performed right here. I noticed the golf course in each wind attainable I might see it,” Lowry stated. “Yeah, I suppose that was a great factor to do, and it’s on the market paying off a bit bit at the moment.”
Justin Thomas is off to a different nice begin for the second straight week in Scotland, even when his rating doesn’t look that means. He had a 68 — he shot 62 final week within the Scottish Open — and feels as if he performed higher as a result of the misses are extra severely punished at Troon.
The group at 68 included PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose, who additionally performed bogey-free with larger appreciation of this Open as a result of he needed to endure 36-hole ultimate qualifying simply to get in.
Throw within the occasional rain, and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler discovered it lots tough after battling his strategy to a 70.
“I don’t know if complicated is the precise phrase, simply difficult, particularly while you get the rain concerned,” Scheffler stated. “Once you get a moist ball into the wind, it’s wonderful how brief it goes. I feel it was No. 2 at the moment, I had 165 to the pin off a slight upslope, and I hit a maintain 5-iron, which for me normally goes about 205. It went in all probability 155 on the most. And I striped it.”
The 2 gamers who determined the U.S. Open might be struggling to make the reduce at The Open Championship.
