The Open 2024 LIVE: Golf leaderboard and scores as Daniel Brown leads after Rory McIlroy suffers nightmare
Daniel Brown leads the 152nd Open Championship after the first round at Royal Troon in AyrshireDaniel Brown is the shock leader of the Open Championship after a fabulous six-under round of 65 moved him into the lead on day one ahead of Shane Lowry.The 2019 champion is one back on -5, with American Justin Thomas three off the lead on -3 after a first-round of 68 at a blustery Royal Troon on Thursday.The PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele is in contention on two under alongside Sweden’s Alex Noren, England’s Justin Rose, Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and American Russell Henley. While world No.1 and favourite Scottie Scheffler will be content to start with a round of 70 to sit on one under.“eah. I’m going to understand it, “said Dekambo. “It’s related to the device. The golf ball — you see, my ball speed isn’t 190, so especially when I hit my driver or my 3-wood, those clubs are rated at about that speed. That ball speed is 190, and my 3-wood is about 190. It’s 180, so in colder, tougher conditions, the golf ball doesn’t compress as much. So it’s probably something like that. “But it was a weird day because I felt like I swung a little bit and the ball didn’t go out of the window that I usually look at.” Forget about the British Open, where he hit a few shots in tough weather conditions at Royal Troon. He made a double bogey on the eighth hole in a postage stamp and his chances of winning the British Open now look slim at best. Only two of the past nine winners had made a double bogey during the week. McIlroy was five over after the bogey but looked visibly frustrated after two attempts to get out of a particularly tricky bunker. “I felt OK,” he said. “I missed the green in the first part of the round and I hit a double, but I still felt like I was in pretty reasonable form and I went from double to nine and thought maybe I could go.” The Irishman faces a long road back to competition at Royal Troon after a tough major league debut that he won’t soon forget. At the British Open on Thursday, he birdied two of the final three holes to open up a six-under 65 and, by dusk at Royal Troon, there was enough of a crowd left to celebrate with him. That put him one stroke ahead of Shane Lowry, who had his best start to a major tournament with a bogey-free 66. Lowry at least knew what to expect with a headwind that caught just about everyone off guard. He arrived in Troon two weeks ago knowing what to expect, and it paid off big time for the Irishman. They are competing with the Royal in Scotland. In the third time, North Ireland was the first attempt to escape from the postage stamp bunker, and returned to his feet. The nine rear brothers finished seven or 10 shots behind the chief of Justin Thomas’s clubhouse. Northern Irish people had 10 shots behind Club Justintin Homas. “It’s dark and it’s a bit difficult, but the wind is 6 and 2,” said Brown. -There is a shiny yellow card. It is difficult to miss it. I feel better all day: “I’m very excited. I need to keep my feet on the ground. I’m going to go out and do my best.