TROON, Scotland — Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy beat everybody in final month’s U.S. Open.
However within the opening spherical of The Open at Royal Troon Golf Membership, they struggled to defeat Mom Nature — and themselves — in what was a Thursday morning to overlook within the wind and rain on Scotland’s west coast.
DeChambeau, who received his second U.S. Open title with a one-shot victory over McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2, carded a 5-over 76 on Thursday. McIlroy was two strokes worse and trailed clubhouse chief Justin Thomas by 10 strokes.
DeChambeau vowed to play “boring” golf at Pinehurst, however his recreation was removed from that on Thursday — for all of the unsuitable causes. He was 3 over by way of 4 holes after a three-putt bogey on No. 1, badly yanking his tee shot on No. 3 for one more bogey after which lacking a 3-foot par putt on No. 4.
“[The wind] was in and off the correct, and I used to be making an attempt to attract the ball and the ball was knuckling a bit of bit,” DeChambeau mentioned. “It was a extremely troublesome problem, and I ought to have simply reduce the ball.”
DeChambeau and McIlroy weren’t the one golfers left perplexed by the unpredictable wind at Royal Troon. Golfers usually play the entrance 9 with the wind at their backs, then shut with a troublesome again 9 with the wind of their faces, nevertheless it was the other within the first spherical.
On the 620-yard sixth gap, DeChambeau pulled his drive into the native space and hit his second shot simply 4 yards out of the excessive grass. He wanted 5 pictures to achieve the inexperienced, resulting in a double-bogey 7. He carded two extra bogeys on Nos. 8 and 15 earlier than lastly ending the carnage by making a 55-foot eagle putt on the sixteenth.
“It is a utterly totally different take a look at,” DeChambeau mentioned. “I did not get any apply in it, and I did not actually play a lot within the rain. Yeah, it is a troublesome take a look at out right here, one thing I am not accustomed to. I by no means grew up taking part in it, and to not say that that is the rationale. I completed eighth at St Andrews [at the 2022 Open]. I can do it when it is heat and never windy.”
McIlroy did not appear to be in hassle on the entrance 9. He made a bogey on No. 1, however shortly answered with a birdie on the par-4 third. He was even par after seven holes.
On the well-known par-3 eighth gap, referred to as Postage Stamp, McIlroy hit his tee shot right into a greenside bunker. He did not get out the ball on his second shot, resulting in a double-bogey 5.
“[It was a] troublesome day,” McIlroy mentioned. “I felt like I did OK for the primary a part of the spherical after which missed the inexperienced on the Postage Stamp there and left it in and made a double. However nonetheless, I felt like I used to be in cheap sufficient form being a pair over by way of 9, considering that I might possibly get these couple pictures again, attempt to shoot even par, one thing like that.”
Issues solely bought worse for McIlroy after he made the flip. After making a bogey on No. 10, the four-time main champion sliced his tee shot over the railway and out of bounds on the correct. That led to a different double-bogey that moved him to five over.
“Although the wind on the again 9 was serving to, it was rather a lot off the left,” McIlroy mentioned. “I used to be really shocked how troublesome I felt just like the again 9 performed. I assumed we had been going to get it a bit of bit simpler than we did. The course was taking part in powerful. The circumstances are very troublesome in a wind that we’ve not seen to date this week.”
Thomas, who does not have a terrific observe file on hyperlinks programs and has struggled together with his type for a lot of the previous two seasons, grabbed the early clubhouse lead by posting a 3-under 68 within the morning wave.
Thomas chipped in from off the inexperienced for a birdie on the par-4 second and added three extra birdies and one bogey to make the flip at 3-under 33. After one other birdie on the tenth, he badly pulled his tee shot to the left on No. 12 and needed to take a penalty drop, resulting in a double-bogey. He made a bogey on the thirteenth after pushing his drive into excessive tough on the correct.
“I simply had not performed that entrance 9 into the wind earlier than, and that was wild,” Thomas mentioned. “I bear in mind making an attempt to drive 1 and three in 2016, and I hit 7-iron into 1 in the present day, and I hit a 3-wood up there on 3 to have wedge in. Nevertheless it simply was very, very totally different. Nevertheless it simply was all very typical of an Open, simply making an attempt to make one of the best out of the circumstances that you’ve.”
Thomas closed with birdies on the ultimate two holes, together with a 25-footer on No. 18, to get again to three underneath, 1 in entrance of Alex Noren, Nicolai Hojgaard, Justin Rose and Russell Henley.
Thomas loves taking part in on hyperlinks programs however hasn’t had a lot to point out for it. He had one top-15 end in seven earlier begins at The Open. Finally yr’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in England, he opened with an 11-over 82.
Thomas had the first-round lead ultimately week’s Genesis Scottish Open earlier than ending in a tie for 62nd.
“I really feel like the whole lot has been turning the correct method, and I have been engaged on the correct issues,” Thomas mentioned. “Similar to I mentioned, I have not actually had a lot to point out 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 taking part in and never play for outcomes, simply play for my recreation, and it will handle itself.”