Rory McIlroy celebrated making a improbable begin to the “fiddliest” Open of his profession as his delayed return to St Andrews proved properly well worth the wait.
America’s Cameron Younger held the lead due to firing eight birdies in a flawless 64, a rating solely McIlroy himself has overwhelmed within the opening spherical of an Open Championship on the Outdated Course.
McIlroy’s 63 got here again in 2010 and was adopted by an 80 in horrible climate, whereas an ankle harm suffered taking part in soccer prevented him from bidding to retain the Claret Jug on the similar venue in 2015.
The four-time main winner admitted this week subsequently felt just like the title defence he by no means had and he loved a super begin, holing from 55 ft for birdie on the primary and making seven in whole in his 66, the identical rating he shot to start his wire-to-wire victory at Hoylake.
In stark distinction, 15-time main winner Tiger Woods began badly, hitting his strategy from a fairway divot into the Swilcan Burn on the first, and went on to card simply three birdies in a six-over-par spherical of 78 – accomplished six hours and eight minutes after teeing off.
Shot of the day
St Andrews’ well-known Street Gap has triggered numerous calamities for gamers over time however Yorkshireman John Parry made it look easy. Having taken a good line down the right-hand aspect, near the Outdated Course Lodge, he had 195 yards to the flag. Bouncing his strategy in in need of the inexperienced it rolled as much as inside a foot of the pin for a tap-in birdie.
Spherical of the day
Cameron Younger – 64
The Open debutant, whose solely expertise of the Outdated Course was within the St Andrews Hyperlinks Trophy nearly a decade in the past, belied his inexperience to put down an early marker. 5 birdies on the entrance 9 noticed him exit in 31 and he gained three additional pictures – though he additionally missed a few comparatively brief putts – that noticed him set up a two-stroke lead on the prime.
Tweet of the day
Statistic of the day
McIlroy is the primary participant to start two completely different Open Championships at St Andrews with rounds of 66 or decrease (2010, 2022).
Hardest gap
The 465-yard par-four thirteenth performed because the hardest gap, yielding simply two birdies all day, with 58 bogeys and 12 double-bogeys or worse leading to a scoring common of 4.51.
Best gap
The 356-yard par-four 18th was simply reachable off the tee. Eighty-two gamers made birdie, there have been two eagles and simply two bogeys for a scoring common of three.46.
Friday’s key tee occasions
8.25am: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann.
9.58am: Tiger Woods, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa.
1.04pm: Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Seamus Energy.
1.26pm: Cameron Younger, KH Lee, Robert MacIntyre
2.59pm: Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele.
Forecast
Cloudy with outbreaks of rain, extra probably early on with an opportunity of a bathe within the afternoon however tending to remain dry. Winds will likely be between 5mph to 10mph, with gusts as much as 15mph.
Kaynak: briturkish.com