Stricker said maybe it was because it’s been a while since he played in a major.
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“It was cold, windy, rainy and I didn’t see the sun once in Inverness”, said the 25-year-old, who is playing in his third Open.
And it might be his last major. Johnny Miller said he believes that’s a result of the great young wave of talent that took up the game when Tiger Woods was winning. Meanwhile, No. 1 Jason Day shot a two-over 73, and Shane Lowry, who held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open four weeks ago, shot 78.
Phil Mickelson charged up the leaderboard at the British Open on Thursday, grabbing the first-day lead and a share of the record for the best score in a major championship.
The much-heralded “Big Four” of golf failed to make an impression in the first round of the British Open on Thursday.
When he bogeyed No. 18, after his tee shot sailed near the right grandstand, he walked off the course in a tie for 35th. He’s American; each of the previous six champions at Troon has been American.
Mickelson’s 63 left him three shots clear of Patrick Reed and Martin Kaymer, both of whom shot 5-under 66.
He went out with a three-under par 33, but took another 45 shots to get home – and that included two birdies!
Thomas, a 23-year-old playing in his first Open, roared to a 31 on his front nine, but ran into trouble on the par-four 15th and made a double-bogey.
Assuredly, had you asked others, more descriptive – and unprintable words – would have been introduced into the equation when talking about The Railway, the so-named 482-yard 11th hole.
Meanwhile, Donald rolled in his putt for the first birdie of the Open.
McIlroy followed him into the room and blasted golf officials who for the last seven years have preached the Olympics as an opportunity to grow the game.
“The opportunity to shoot 62 and be the first one to do it …” The ball just does amusing things, and golf is weird. He threw his arms up in celebration for what was his second hole-in-one at a major this year, after acing the 16th in the final round of the Masters.
McIlroy’s round was in danger of unravelling when he fired his approach over the 13th green and compounded the error by three-putting for a double bogey, before dropping another shot on the next after failing to get up and down from a bunker. It was a proud moment for the 53-year-old Scotsman but things soon were looking bleak after his 6:35 a.m. start.
He recovered to save par before sending his second shot into the heart of the green at the third and watching the ball disappear into the cup.
In a cheery post-round mixed-zone chat, the 53-year-old was asked about his double-bogey six at the first, where he landed an terrible lie in a greenside bunker.
Louis Oosthuizen aced the 14th hole, his tee shots taking two hops and diving out of sight, helping him to finish his round at even par.
“I can’t buy a putt right now”, Spieth said as he strode to the par 3 17th tee box. “It would have been easy to score 78 there, simple”.
Much further ahead, on the more hard back nine, Montgomerie bogeyed the par-three 14th to drop back to one under.
Two-time major victor Jordan Spieth and world number one Jason Day were both level par through three and two holes of their respective rounds.
Meanwhile, Day struggled early and had three bogeys on the front nine.
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Surprise contender and Open debutant Justin Thomas offered the lowdown on his living arrangements while in Scotland.
