No wind, abundant birdies at start of British Open

It did not take long for a pattern to be set in Thursday’s British Open first round at Royal Troon.

Irish Open champion McIlroy got off to the ideal start with four birdies on the front nine to get to four under par but the much more challenging back nine reclaimed three of them, the Irishman double-bogeying the par-four 14th and then bogeying the par-five 15th before grabbing one back with a birdie three at the next hole.

That list included American quartet Justin Thomas, Steve Stricker, Billy Horschel and Tony Finau, as well as Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen.

Out on the course, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and the reigning champion Zach Johnson of the United States were both four-under after 12 holes. The four-time major victor from Northern Ireland scorched a little earth earlier this week at the 145th British Open, taking on the Olympics, drug testing and addressing what responsibility he has, if any, to grow the game he plays.

His second shot landed in what he described as a “horrendous” position and he couldn’t get the ball out of the bunker.

No wonder Montgomerie was happy to finish with an even-par 71. “So I may as well be true to myself”.

The world number four had taken “eight or nine” at the famous Postage Stamp in practice after struggling to get out of a greenside bunker, but had no such problems when it mattered thanks to a superb tee shot to just two feet from the hole.

Jordan Spieth, victor of the Masters and US Open past year, opened with an unremarkable 71 that featured three birdies and three bogeys. “It would have been easy to score 78 there, simple”.

After being cheered to the first tee, the Montgomerie of the 1990s returned on the front nine.

For the start of the 145th Open, there was no wind at all.

“It was a great honour for me and for the family and the members of Troon that I kicked this off this morning”. He’s back to even par with two holes to play after three bogeys.

He recovered from a double-bogey six at the first to shoot a respectable 71.

The world’s No. 4-ranked player opened his British Open at Troon with a two-under 69. There already were eight birdies in the first 21 holes completed, with Sanghee Lee of South Korea making birdie on the opening two holes.

The day began with local favourite Colin Montgomerie hitting the opening drive – his first appearance at an Open in six years and what may well be his last.

Widely considered the best player to have never won a major, Montgomerie qualified at age 53 for what likely will be his last Open. His shot at the Olympics was seen as across-the-line by many, but McIlroy, who was to play for Ireland, says he is not alone in feeling the way he does.

There wasn’t an empty seat in the grandstand next to the first tee, where the silver claret jug was on a podium.

“It’s one of these golf courses that allows you to get off to a quick start, allows you to get nearly over-confident and cocky, and all of a sudden you get a little too careless on the back nine and you can go shoot 31-41”. He narrowly missed a third straight birdie on the fifth, then went ahead and made one on the sixth.