Agencies
London
On a challenging day one of the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon, Shane Lowry shot to the top of the leaderboard at five under par but Rory McIlroy was among the big names that struggled.
McIlroy posted a seven over par round of 78 with his hopes of ending a 10-year wait to win a major floundering as most of the field struggled in the wet and windy conditions on Scotland’s west coast.
Lowry, who won his sole major at the British Open five years ago, made the most of the calm late afternoon conditions with three birdies in five holes around the turn and picked up another at the 18th to lead by two shots.
Two-time major winner Justin Thomas is lurking at three under, while recently crowned USPGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele is among a group of five on two under that also includes Justin Rose.
World number one Scottie Scheffler cut a frustrated figure on the greens but is still in the mix after a one under round that featured four birdies and three bogeys.
Earlier, former Masters champion Adam Scott’s brilliant touch from the sand produced an early highlight on the first morning.
Scoring was more difficult than expected for the traditionally-easier front nine as the wind was into the players’ faces, not a direction they had practised in, and as a result birdies were at a premium.
Scott’s three at the first came after he pulled his approach into a greenside bunker, from where he splashed out and watched it roll into the hole.
That put briefly put him into a share of the lead before Younghan Song went clear on two under after back-to-back birdies at the second and third.
However, shortly afterwards the rain arrived just before 8am to make conditions even more testing.
None more so than for Australian amateur Jasper Stubbs, whose Open debut began with a tee shot carved out of bounds for a double-bogey.
Former champion Justin Leonard had got the proceedings under way in overcast and breezy conditions.
The 52-year-old, who has an exemption for another eight years as a result of his victory here in 1997, has not appeared in a major since the Open was last in Ayrshire in 2016 as he now plays on the Champions Tour.
Before the first shot there was a moment of reflection for Ivor Robson, the official Open starter for more than 50 years, who died in October and whose family were present on the tee.
DeChambeau could have ‘thrown in the towel’
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau admits he found his front nine at Royal Troon so difficult he could have walked off the course and gone home on a "weird” day in The Open.
The American had four bogeys and a double as he went out in 42 but he fought the instinct to write off his round and rattled off five successive pars to stem the bleeding.
He was able to limit the damage to one dropped shot at the 15th and immediately responded with a 54-foot eagle putt at the par-five next to close with a five-over 76.
"I’m just proud of the way I persevered today. Shoot, man, I could have thrown in the towel after nine and could have been like, I’m going home,” he said.
"It’s a difficult test out here. Something I’m not familiar with. I never grew up playing it and not to say that that’s the reason.
"I can do it when it’s warm and not windy. But no, I’ve got a chance tomorrow. I’m excited for the challenge.”