Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau found themselves on the wrong side of the British Open leaderboard from day one
A dramatic turn of events at Royal Troon left U.S. Open rivals Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau in dire straits on the first day of the 152nd British Open and languishing at the bottom of the rankings. The turn of events came just a month after McIlroy’s heartbreaking final at Pinehurst that paved the way for DeChambeau to win his second U.S. Open title. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy’s round started well, staying at par after seven holes, but disaster struck on the iconic par-3 eighth hole. McIlroy’s attempt to escape from a bunker on the Postage Stamp hole resulted in the ball coming right back to his feet, leading to a double bogey. Things went from bad to worse when he bogeyed the 10th hole and then sliced his tee shot out of bounds on the challenging 11th hole, ending up with another double bogey and dropping his score to five over par. Braison Deschambbo, who demonstrated an impressive form in major this season with the sixth place of the finish line in the masters and the place that took second place at the USA championship PGA, found that Royal Troon was a completely different beast. Despite his success in Pinehurst, the story of Deschamba at the opening was less starry, and only one top -10 finished in six starts. DeChambeau faced a big challenge at Royal Troon for the first time.
DeChambeau’s troubles started early, when he three-putted on the first hole, then made a wayward putt on the third hole and missed another putt. He bogeyed the fourth and then ran into serious difficulties on the par-5 sixth, where his powerful engine could not save him from a severe test, and a series of mistakes led to an adventurous, ultimately costly journey. With McIlroy and DeChambeau in contention, Justin Thomas achieved the club’s initial target with a three-under round, thanks to birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. Despite two setbacks on the 12th, the two-time major champion’s strong play kept him in contention. Swede Alex Noren, who only secured his place at the Open with a top 10 at the Scottish Open, ended the day one shot from the lead. He made four birdies and two bogeys for a 69, sharing the position with Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Nikolaj Hojgaard. Calum Scott, a 20-year-old Scottish amateur, also impressed with a level par round.
Former champion Justin Leonard, who teed off at 6:35 am, returned with a nine-over-par 80, a score two shots better than fellow former champion Todd Hamilton. Leonard quipped that his first tee shot was probably his best of the day.
With McIlroy and DeChambeau battling for a spot in the cut, Day 1 of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon has already been full of drama and surprises. Given the changing wind and difficult track conditions, the next few days are set to be a real test for all participants.