Gray skies and green water at the Rio de Janeiro Games

The Great Britain golfer became the first player in history to record a hole-in-one at the Olympic Games in the first round of the men’s tournament at the Olympic Golf Course.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – On a day of firsts for Olympic golf, Marcus Fraser of Australia had the one that mattered – the first-round lead. After talk of a potential USA sweep (they had four of the eight favorites coming in), the Americans largely laid an egg in the first round in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro: After 112 years golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics on Thursday with Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators.

And, for him, it’s not money. “Walking around the village was really inspiring”.

No bueno, as they say in Cazaubon’s country – or Nao bom, in Portuguese. “Having such pride in your country you really want to do the best that you cannot just for the other Americans here, but everybody back home”. “I know the other boys other than Kuch, they are not too satisfied, either”. We didn’t do it for money. Not even the most dominant player of his era, Tiger Woods, could guarantee victories in any given week.

“The women in golf have not got a problem, all of their top players are going”. Reed shot a one-over par 72 and sits in a tie for a 34th while Bubba’s two-over 73 put him into a tie for 42nd.

Stenson, who won the Open Championship in Scotland last month, was swarmed by blue and yellow clad Swedish supporters throughout his round. “To hear my name announced as an Olympian and to go tee off, there were a few more butterflies than I anticipated on the first tee”, Kuchar said. I’ve received a lot from the game of golf.

“I was captain of Team Canada in Germany”, Whitney told Reuters.

“They don’t make anything”, he said. The four Majors are over, what else is there to play for this year? “And we don’t show any appreciation for those guys”.

Hockey players, who earn a living in one of the world’s tougher sports and golfers, long respected for their etiquette and decorum, have developed a unusual kinship. Most of the absentees cited the Zika virus.

Golf provides a comfortable lifestyle. Despite battling an injury-plagued season on the PGA Tour, DeLaet feels like he’s ready for this big moment. Kaymer knows he has it good. “They have got so many pins [locations] on the greens, and even though they are not huge greens. they are designed so well that every hole has its own strategy for different winds”.

“But the actual work?”

“I want to smile all the time”, Watson said. “We had seven or eight holes with that pretty strong breeze at the end and I am pretty happy to be in here and let the boys go out in the afternoon in that wind”. The Olympic theme, that everyone is the same, I enjoy that. The U.S. pair lost to Spain on Wednesday morning to fall to 1-2.

He would love to leave Rio with a gold medal around his neck.

But there are many who didn’t think anyone should be able to call themselves an Olympic golfer again. “The great thing about golf right now if from 60 players, probably 40 or 45 can win”. They aren’t the only high-profile duffers to stay home this summer. He has won 25 total medals in his career. That doesn’t change a thing.