Ryan Fox of New Zealand plays his second shot on the 18th hole during the first round of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon. Photo / Getty Images
Ryan Fox of New Zealand plays his second shot on the 18th hole during the first round of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon. Photo / Getty Images
The New Zealand foursome have all carded over-par rounds but remain in the mix to make the cut after the opening day of the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
World number 272 Englishman Daniel Brown is the first round leader after firing a six-under 65, playing in the penultimate groupof the day. Brown came into the Open having missed seven cuts in his last eight events on the DP World Tour.
2019 winner Shane Lowry was the leader for much of the late action following a five-under 66. Just 17 players in the 157-man field sit under par after a brutal day on the Scottish west coast with mixed winds off the Firth of Clyde.
Former world number one Justin Thomas is three shots back from Brown at three-under while seven players are in a share of fourth including PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele. World number one Scottie Scheffler carded a one-under 70 along with the likes of Adam Scott, Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooks Koepka.
Kazuma Kobori and Ryan Fox are in a share of 42nd after both carding a two-over 73 with Fox’s putter saving him throughout the day. The world number 64 had two bogeys on the front nine, at the 620-yard par five when his approach went wide left and he failed to find the green with his chip on followed by a bogey five at the ninth. He then played even through the back nine.
Michael Hendry (three-over, tied 70th) and Daniel Hillier (five-over, tied 96th) also need some work to do tomorrow to get in touch with the leaders and eye the cut. The top 70 and ties will make the 36-hole cut.
“It’s tough out there,” Fox told TalkSport after his round.
“It was pretty scrappy in places. I had a couple of really nice up-and-downs to keep it going, especially on the last two holes. When I did hit good shots, I didn’t really take my chances. I had a couple of nice birdie looks there and didn’t make them but two-over is certainly not out of the tournament.”
Hillier had two triple bogeys in his round with a six coming at the famous Postage Stamp par three eighth, but finished strong with three birdies in the final six holes.
Down the bottom of the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy, coming off a second at the US Open, opened with a seven-over 78. Former Open champions Cameron Smith and Tiger Woods are still on the course at seven-over.
