Shane Lowry made a flawless begin to his bid for a second Open title as Rory McIlroy successfully wrote off his possibilities of doing the identical at Royal Troon.
Lowry carded 5 birdies in a bogey-free 66 that was solely surpassed at 9.33pm by England’s Daniel Brown, the world quantity quantity 272 returning a superb 65 to say a shock lead on his Open debut.
Brown, who received his maiden DP World Tour title in Northern Eire 11 months in the past, took benefit of calmer circumstances for the later starters to birdie the third, fifth, tenth, eleventh, sixteenth and 18th.
It was a distinction which instantly dropped at thoughts the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, when Lowry began with a 67 on his option to the Claret Jug and McIlroy’s possibilities had been blown away with a 79.
“It was satisfying,” Lowry, who made birdies on the fourth, seventh, eighth, eleventh and 18th, advised Sky Sports activities.
“I acquired off to a little bit of an iffy begin and holed a few good par putts early on after which I used to be off and working.
“I attempt not to consider it [2019] an excessive amount of now. I holed a putt to enter the lead and I assumed ‘It’s the primary time I’ve led The Open in 5 years’.
“It doesn’t matter what I do this week in Portrush will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart. I like that place and I like this match.”
A downbeat Rory McIlroy had earlier dismissed his possibilities of mounting a problem for a fifth main title after a expensive run of holes across the flip.
McIlroy was stage par after seven holes earlier than working up a double bogey on the signature par-three eighth, the Northern Irishman’s first try to flee a bunker on the Postage Stamp coming again to his ft.
With the again 9 taking part in downwind McIlroy was hopeful of repairing the injury, solely to drive out of bounds on the eleventh to run up one other double bogey and finally end seven over par, 12 pictures behind Lowry.
In keeping with statistician Justin Ray, lead knowledge analyst at KPMG Efficiency Insights, 87 per cent of Open winners since 1960 have been inside 4 pictures of the lead after the primary spherical.
Requested if he might make up the bottom he had conceded, there was a prolonged pause earlier than McIlroy mentioned: “I imply, all I have to concentrate on is tomorrow and attempt to make the lower. That’s all I can concentrate on.”
The 35-year-old, who agonisingly missed out on an overdue fifth main title in final month’s US Open, added: “I felt like I did OK for the primary a part of the spherical after which missed the inexperienced on the Postage Stamp there and made a double.
“However nonetheless, felt like I used to be in affordable sufficient form being a pair over by 9, considering that I might possibly get these couple of pictures again, attempt to shoot even par, one thing like that.
“Although the wind on the again 9 was serving to, it was so much off the left. I used to be truly stunned how tough I felt just like the again 9 performed. The circumstances are very tough in a wind that we haven’t seen to this point this week.
“I suppose when that occurs it begins to current completely different choices and also you begin to consider possibly hitting just a few golf equipment that you just haven’t hit in apply. Simply a kind of days the place I simply didn’t adapt nicely sufficient to the circumstances.”
Bryson DeChambeau, who edged out McIlroy at Pinehurst to win his second US Open, additionally discovered himself nicely down the sphere following a 76, though the American did at the very least gap from 55 ft for an eagle on the sixteenth.
DeChambeau’s entrance 9 of 42 included a double bogey on the 612-yard sixth, the place he might solely advance his second shot just a few yards from heavy tough earlier than hitting his subsequent onto the adjoining thirteenth fairway.
“It was a thick lie and I attempted to hit a 7-iron out, and I didn’t get it excessive sufficient,” DeChambeau mentioned.
“Then I attempted to fade a 5-wood and it squirted off the left aspect of my clubface and simply shot left. I’m simply glad no one acquired harm.”
Thomas had set the clubhouse goal on three below par because of birdies on the seventeenth and 18th, the two-time main winner’s 68 representing a 14-shot enchancment on his opening spherical at Hoylake final 12 months.
“I couldn’t even let you know what I used to be considering or the way it was then,” Thomas mentioned when requested to check the 2 rounds.
“I’m simply anxious about how I’m now, and I’m more than happy with my sport and know issues are persevering with to work in the suitable path. I’ve simply acquired to maintain attempting to play nicely.”
Sweden’s Alex Noren, who solely secured his place within the discipline by way of a tie for tenth within the Scottish Open on Sunday, was a shot off the tempo alongside American Russell Henley and Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard.
Rose, who needed to come by a 36-hole qualifier to make it to Troon, carded two birdies and 16 pars in his bogey-free 69.
