Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau at wrong end of Open leaderboard on day one

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau at wrong end of Open leaderboard on day one

 

In a dramatic turn of events at Royal Troon, US Open adversaries Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau found themselves struggling on the first day of the 152nd Open, languishing near the bottom of the leaderboard. This development came just a month after McIlroy’s heart-wrenching finish at Pinehurst, which paved the way for DeChambeau to secure his second US Open title.

 

Rory McIlroy’s round started promisingly, with the Northern Irishman managing to stay level par after seven holes. However, disaster struck on the iconic par-three 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.

 

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Bryson DeChambeau, who has shown impressive form in the majors this season with a sixth-place finish at the Masters and a runner-up spot at the US PGA Championship, found Royal Troon to be an entirely different beast. Despite his success at Pinehurst, DeChambeau’s history at the Open has been less stellar, with only one top 10 finish in six starts. Competing at Royal Troon for the first time, DeChambeau faced significant challenges.

 

DeChambeau’s troubles began early with a three-putt on the first hole, followed by a wayward drive on the third hole, costing him another shot. He bogeyed the fourth and encountered severe difficulties on the par-five sixth, where he ended up with a seven. His powerful drives couldn’t save him from the heavy rough, and a series of missteps led to an adventurous and ultimately costly journey on the course.

 

While McIlroy and DeChambeau struggled, Justin Thomas set the early clubhouse target with a three-under-par round, thanks to birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. Despite a double bogey on the 12th, the two-time major winner’s strong performance kept him in contention.

 

Sweden’s Alex Noren, who only secured his spot in the Open through a top 10 finish at the Scottish Open, ended the day one shot off the lead. He carded four birdies and two bogeys for a 69, sharing his position with Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Nicolai 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 wryly noted that his opening tee shot was probably his best of the day.

 

As McIlroy and DeChambeau face an uphill battle to make the cut, the first day of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon has already offered a mix of drama and surprise. With shifting winds and the challenging course conditions, the coming days promise to be a true test for all competitors.