Golf: Ryan Fox makes strong start at Dunhill Links

Ryan Fox of New Zealand tees off on the fourth hole during Day One of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links. Photo / Getty

Defending champion Ryan Fox has made an impressive start at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

The world number 32 shot an opening round 66 at Carnoustie to sit two shots behind leaders Peter Uihlein, Sebastian Soderberg and Adri Arnaus.

The tournament is played over three of Scotland’s best courses across the first three rounds — each player has 18 holes at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns — before the final round is held back at the Old Course. Fox had the third best round of the day at Carnoustie.

Fox had three birdies on the front nine before his only blemish of the day coming with a bogey at the par four 10th. He finished strong with four straight birdies starting at the 14th to finish at six-under.

The Kiwi claimed the title last year finishing at 15-under with his worst round of the opening three at Carnoustie (two-over 74).

Six of the best nine scores in the first round came at St. Andrews, including the rounds of Uihlein and Soderberg that featured fast starts in good conditions.

Soderberg birdied seven of his first eight holes to go out in 29, while all eight of the birdies by Uihlein — who plays on the LIV Golf circuit — were in the first 14 holes of the American’s bogey-free round.

Arnaus played at Carnoustie, where he birdied the five straight holes from No. 17 after starting at the 10th, and also eagled the par-5 14th hole.

Among the six players a shot off the lead was Nicolas Colsaerts, one of Europe’s vice captains at the Ryder Cup in Rome that ended Sunday with a 16 1/2-11 1/2 win over the Americans to regain the gold trophy.

Tommy Fleetwood — who won the clinching point for the Europeans at Marco Simone — Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre were straight back playing, with Fitzpatrick having the best score with a 67 at Carnoustie.

Fleetwood and MacIntyre also played at Carnoustie and shot 69 and 70, respectively.