On an opening day of contrasting conditions at the 147thOpen Championship, Carnoustie showed exactly why it is regarded as one of the toughest examinations on the Open rota.
Early starters enjoyed almost breathless conditions at the burnished and fast-running Angus links, and made the best of the opportunity by posting plenty of red figures. Among those with breakfast tee times was 34-year-old American Kevin Kisner, who playing in the eighth group out, breezed around the sun-baked course in a five-under-par 66 to lead the field at the end of play.
That gave Kisner a one-stroke lead over long-hitting fellow American Tony Finau and South Africans Erik van Rooyen and Zander Lombard, with another South African, last week’s Scottish Open winner Brandon Stone, a further shot back in fifth alongside Americans Ryan Moore and Brendan Steele.
Players were greeted by the most parched fairways in recent times, a straw-coloured hue perhaps even drier than at the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool. Drives of some 400 yards were commonplace, and with only wispy rough and little wind, low scores were plentiful in the benign conditions.
Late starter Tiger Woods, who shot an even-par 71, was among those who had to deal with a breeze that finally freshened long after most players were safely tucking into their dinner.
It was a mixed day for the bookies’ favourites. Defending champion Jordan Spieth was, at times, spectacularly inaccurate off the tee, and it finally caught up with the Texan as he dropped four shots in the final four holes for a 72. Hitting less than 50% of the fairways, he’ll have to do better over the next three days if he is to retain his title.
World number one Dustin Johnson ran up a 76 that included a triple-bogey at the last, while Sergio Garcia, back at Carnoustie in the hope of erasing the painful memories of 1999, carded a ragged 75, bogeying the first and third, and running up four bogeys in a row from the ninth, before bagging his second birdie of the day at the 18th. The Spaniard will have to go well under par in his second round if he is to make the cut.
Rory McIlroy, also out among the early starters, fared better with a 69. The Northern Irishman took the bold approach by using a driver off many tees, but still looked to be fighting his swing, finding the left-hand rough with alarming regularity. Hitting just 27% of fairways off the tee, he battled it round to lie just three shots off the lead, a position he shares with former Open champion Zach Johnson and reigning US PGA champion Justin Thomas.
England’s best first round scores came from Matt Southgate – no relation to Gareth – and a seemingly revitalized Danny Willett, who matched McIlroy’s 69, with English fan favourites Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose shot one-over-par 72s and both will have to sharpen up their shooting if golf is to be brought ‘home’ on Sunday.
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