TROON, Scotland — Justin Thomas is off to a different nice begin for the second straight week in Scotland, even when his Open Championship rating doesn’t look that means. He started the primary spherical on Thursday with a 3-under 68 that set an early goal and left him happy.
By no means thoughts that 62 he had per week in the past within the Scottish Open. Royal Troon required arduous work, and with simply sufficient rain and loads of wind the hyperlinks alongside the Ayrshire coast confirmed it was able to punishing gamers with out discover.
U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau saved lacking par putts and, as soon as, moved a shot from the deep tough solely 4 yards that led to a double bogey. He shot 42 on the entrance 9 and was taking a look at a brief keep in Scotland.
Rory McIlroy, hopeful of bouncing again from his U.S. Open collapse, took a double bogey on the famed “Postage Stamp” eighth gap, and piped a driver out of bounds on the eleventh for one more double bogey. He already was 5 over and fading.
Thomas was not immune.
He was one in every of three gamers who reached 4 below among the many early starters and had the wind at his again for the inward 9 at Troon. After which his tee shot landed in a bush that required a penalty drop and he missed a 4-foot putt and made double bogey. His subsequent drive took a wild hop into grass so deep his caddie known as out to the gallery, “Final name. Anybody see the opposite ball to the proper?” They finally discovered it, however it led to bogey.
“A bit little bit of a hiccup at first of the again 9 however stayed affected person and saved plugging,” Thomas stated.
Certainly, Thomas managed to maintain it collectively. He prevented one other bogey with a 12-foot par putt, and completed with a 6-iron to eight toes for birdie on the seventeenth and a birdie on the 18th that confirmed how a lot wind was serving to — 4-iron off the tee, wedge into 25 toes on the 458-yard closing gap.
Justin Rose, who needed to undergo ultimate qualifying to get into the Open, was equally spectacular by enjoying bogey-free for a 69, joined by a gaggle that included Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark and Alex Noren, who solely certified via the Scottish Open.
Matt Wallace was a type of at 4 below early in his spherical, solely to take triple bogey on the ninth gap. He completed at 69, together with Adam Scott.
Justin Leonard, a winner at Royal Troon in 1997, returned for the primary time since 2016 and was given the dignity of the opening tee shot with the shiny claret jug positioned close by on a podium. He had an 80, one in every of already 5 rounds of 80 or larger. That record included John Daly, who made an 8 on the ultimate gap for an 82.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 participant, and Tiger Woods have been amongst those that performed late within the afternoon. The wind was stronger. The rain was by no means far-off. However it was robust for everybody.
The again is longer and sometimes performs into a robust wind. It was the other way for the early going and nonetheless triggered its share of issues.
“It’s going to play as simple as it may all week, I feel, as a result of the ball is getting up there on these holes,” Scott stated. “Final time I performed it, it was 2-irons and 3-irons into each gap, and at this time it was a sand wedge into 15. However attempting to determine that out, it was like a observe spherical — the again 9 — for me at this time.”
Thomas didn’t do a lot after that 62 to start out the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Membership, a links-styled course however not hyperlinks turf. He didn’t learn a lot into that besides to say he felt he performed significantly better for the 68 he posted at Royal Troon.
Additionally a forgotten reminiscence was the 82 he began with a yr in the past at Royal Liverpool. Thomas was in a distinct spot final yr, attempting to keep away from lacking the PGA Tour postseason (he did) whereas attempting to get his recreation on monitor. He nonetheless hasn’t gained in additional than two years. However he walked off Royal Troon feeling for sure he was headed in the proper path.
