Royal Troon showed its teeth on day one of the 152nd Open Championship as several of the world’s best players struggled in the blustery conditions.
Rory McIlroy battled his way to a seven-over 78, and 2024 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau also struggled, carding a five-over 76.
Justin Thomas produced the pick of the morning rounds, making seven birdies on his way to a three-under 68. Justin Rose also impressed, despite the Englishman claiming he was disappointed with his effort around Royal Troon.
Royal Troon’s opening holes took the best players by surprise during day one of The Open
During his practice round, McIlroy claimed the back nine was considerably more challenging than the front nine; however, an unexpected scenario played out during the first round.
As highlighted by Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig, the usually favourable opening par-fours proved to be an extremely tough test.
“Amazing how much different the conditions are today compared to the practice rounds,” he wrote on X. “The opening holes are dead into a strong wind and not nearly the gettable holes expected.”
Brutal Troon set-up surprises several players on day one of The Open
Before The Open, much had been made of the front nine being the ‘gettable’ stretch of holes.
Tiger Woods said parts of the course were there to attack, but it wouldn’t have been the stretch he was expecting.
The southwest breeze provided a completely different challenge, and the scoring opportunities emerged on the supposedly tougher back nine.
For fans watching on, the tough start provided intriguing viewing. If the conditions continue to test, a winning score similar to the US Open could be enough to lift the Claret Jug come Sunday afternoon.
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