Led by Patrick Reed, Americans rule again at Royal Troon

Stricker, the 49-year-old who is playing in his 14th Open, birdied three of his last five holes.

The San Diegan, with a chance to become the first golfer to shoot 62 in the 157-year history of major championship golf, had an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Troon roll around about half the hole before staying out.

Mickelson said he hadn’t ever seen such favorable conditions at Royal Troon.

“[The course] played exactly how I thought it would”, added McIlroy to Golf Channel. The scoring conditions were ideal.

But Reed has yet to live up to his boasting, leaving him clearly on the outside of a Fab Four that includes Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. He had a 73. He now sits second, along with Germany’s Martin Kaymer, with six Americans among the eight players a shot further back.

They, and the rest of the field, will look to make early headway as the course heads out to the south, skirting the coastline, before beginning to get complicated at the infamous par-three eighth hole, the Postage Stamp.

“I felt like it was kind of easy”, Mickelson said. On a course that has seen 9 under as the average winning score, I don’t see that changing this week.

Mickelson entered the clubhouse with a three-shot lead.

Day takes his No. 1 ranking seriously.

Marc Leishman, runner-up past year at St Andrews, also wasted a fine start to card a three-over 74, while Steven Bowditch’s horror season continued with a 79.

Day might be one of the few players hoping for bad weather because it might be his best way to get back into the tournament. Rose spoke on behalf of those who will be in Rio, saying: ‘Jack Nicklaus is my hero and he said he’d have walked to Rio to play in the Olympics.

“I have no regrets about where I stand on certain things, but I wish I maybe would have just elaborated a little bit more on what I said”. “If I can hit a little bit better tomorrow, that would be fantastic”. He missed them both, a sign of what was to come.

Graeme McDowell was the lone late starter amongst the Irish sextet with the Portrush star reaching the turn in one over par after a front nine of one birdie and two bogeys.

He stared for the longest time at a leaderboard next to the 17th green, realizing that even par wasn’t going to cut it on a flawless day as this. “I think there should definitely be more holes like that in golf”. Really struggled in Akron, hit the ball sideways for the most part and today had it under control. He made a lot of putts in Hawaii.

He led after the first round during the 2011 U.S. Open and 2014 Open Championship.

Englishman Andy Sullivan and Norwegian Soren Kjeldsen also carded 67s, but the day undoubtedly belonged to Mickelson, who was flawless in his eight-birdie round. He played the par 5s in even.

Mickelson said he knew walking up the 17th hole that he “had a shot” at shooting 62.

That’s true at any major.