Harris English and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick joined Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, China’s Haotong Li and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout with 4-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead of the Open Championship on Thursday at Portrush, Northern Eire.
Golfers battled wind gusts and, for these taking part in in the course of the day, rain that was bothersome at occasions at Royal Portrush Golf Membership.
English reached 5 below for the solo lead along with his seventh birdie of the spherical on the par-5 No. 12 earlier than a bogey on No. 14 and pars the remainder of the best way.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler ended up at 3 below together with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and Englishmen Matthew Jordan and Tyrrell Hatton.
There are 10 golfers, together with earlier finishers Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark and Lee Westwood of England together with Rasmus Hojgaard, Rickie Fowler, England’s Justin Rose and 2023 champion Brian Harman at 69.
Lucas Glover, aided by an eagle on the par-5 second gap, reached 4 below by seven holes earlier than a few bogeys on the bottom left him at 2 below as properly.
Phil Mickelson, the match’s 2013 champion, led at 2 below on the spherical’s halfway mark earlier than ending with 70. He offered an early thrill by holing a shot from the bunker for a par on the third gap.
Different scores of curiosity included Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy and Eire’s Shane Lowry at 70.
Fitzpatrick pulled even with the leaders with a chip-in on the par-3 sixteenth gap. His try from properly beneath the outlet hit the pin and dropped in. Earlier, he posted an eagle on the par-5 third gap.
Olesen, making his third look in a tour occasion, used an eagle on the par-5 twelfth gap to maneuver into the lead. His second bogey of the spherical on the ultimate gap value him the mid-day solo lead.
Li had a bogey-free spherical with a pair of birdies on both sides.
Scheffler notched birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a powerful closing stretch. Two of his 5 birdies within the spherical got here on par-3s.
Chris Gotterup, who was coming off the weekend’s victory within the Genesis Scottish Open, shot 72. He went 2 below by 12 holes earlier than three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 13-15.
–Subject Degree Media