Jun 23, 2024; Cromwell, Connecticut, USA; Justin Thomas hits the ball from the tee on the fourth gap through the last spherical of the Vacationers Championship golf event at TPC River Highlands. Necessary Credit score: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports activities Little-known Daniel Brown of England birdied Nos. 16 and 18 as darkness approached to shoot a bogey-free, 6-under-par 65 and seize the first-round lead on the 152nd Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Troon in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Brown, ranked No. 272 on the earth, leapfrogged 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry after the Irishman set the tempo with a bogey-free 66. Justin Thomas is alone in third after a 3-under 68.
A one-time winner on the DP World Tour, the 29-year-old Brown had a spherical to recollect in his main championship debut.
After enjoying the entrance 9 in 2 beneath, Brown briefly tied Lowry’s lead at 4 beneath with a pair of unbelievable birdie putts — from practically 35 ft at No. 10 and about 42 ft at No. 11.
Lowry went on to stay his second shot on the par-4 18th to five ft of the pin, prompting a roar from the group, and arrange a go-ahead birdie to retake sole possession of the lead.
“It is solely sooner or later. We have got three extra days,” Lowry mentioned. “I saved telling myself that on the market as a result of for some purpose I felt like the group have been getting very excited on the market.”
However Brown stayed regular on the again 9 as visibility started to fade. He recovered from a wayward second shot on the par-5 sixteenth and sank a 13-footer for birdie to tie Lowry once more. Then he drained an 8-foot putt at about 9:30 p.m. native time to take the highest spot for himself.
After lacking the green and inexperienced and the par-4 tenth, Lowry made an important save by sinking a 24-foot putt for par. He took that momentum to the eleventh, the place his 20 1/2-foot birdie putt fell to offer the event its first new outright chief in a number of hours.
“I went on the market, fortunate I watched a variety of golf this morning and I noticed that the golf course was not enjoying simple,” Lowry mentioned. “Yeah, simply tried to exit and play my recreation and hit some good photographs and gap just a few putts, and I did that, and I am fairly blissful.”
Thomas, a two-time main champion who’s struggled in current seasons, set the early tempo by making seven birdies to offset two bogeys and a double. A chip-in birdie on the second gap despatched him on his approach, and he was 4 beneath via 11 holes earlier than shedding his tee shot on the par-4 twelfth.
Settling for double bogey there and bogey at No. 13 did not take him out of the operating amid the cool, wet circumstances on the Scottish seaside. Thomas birdied his last two holes, getting a 25-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to fall to take the lead outright.
“I really feel like every thing has been turning the proper approach, and I have been engaged on the proper issues,” mentioned Thomas, who’s winless for the reason that 2022 PGA Championship. “Similar to I mentioned, I have never actually had a lot to indicate for it. That is simply how this recreation works generally. However I do know that I am shut the best way it’s, and I am simply going to maintain enjoying and never play for outcomes, simply play for my recreation, and it will maintain itself.”
Reigning PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele contended for the lead with three birdies in his first 11 holes earlier than settling for a 2-under 69. He’s tied with six others, together with Justin Rose — the 43-year-old Englishman who needed to undergo last qualifying to make the sector.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler completed birdie-bogey-birdie to submit a 1-under 70. Previous main winners Brooks Koepka, Matt Fitzpatrick of England and Adam Scott of Australia additionally shot 70.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Eire is at risk of lacking Friday’s lower after a disastrous 7-over 78. On the par-3 eighth gap, nicknamed “Postage Stamp” for its small inexperienced, McIlroy discovered “The Coffin” bunker off the tee. On his first try and punch out, the ball trickled again down the slope into the sand.
After taking double bogey there and bogey at No. 10, McIlroy drove out of bounds on the par-4 eleventh and incurred one other double bogey.
“The circumstances are very troublesome in a wind that we have not seen thus far this week,” McIlroy mentioned. “I suppose when that occurs, you play your follow rounds, you’ve a method that you simply suppose goes that can assist you get across the golf course, however then if you get a wind you have not performed in, it begins to current completely different choices and also you begin to consider perhaps hitting just a few golf equipment that you have not hit in follow. Yeah, simply a kind of days the place I simply did not adapt effectively sufficient to the circumstances.”
Tiger Woods equally struggled to an 8-over 79. He solely hit 10 of 18 greens in regulation and had two double bogeys to go along with two birdies and 6 bogeys.
–Discipline Degree Media
