Daniel Brown (-6) is the first leader of the 152nd edition of the Open Championship and the indispensable Cinderella of a tournament that has started in a formidable way. He is so after signing a 65 and also one of the only two bogey-free cards of the day. The other one is Shane Lowry’s (-5). Let’s say, with all the respect and caution in the world, that the Englishman, who is playing his first Major at 29, is the official leader, with all the merits, and Lowry, by name and record, is the unofficial leader. Brown, who got into this Open by sinking a final six-meter putt in the West Lancashire qualifying round and who had missed six of his last seven cuts on the European tour, has been busy putting meters and meters of putt. Just like Lowry, how curious. No, in the end this is simpler than we try to tell it… Both, especially Brown, who went out to play in the penultimate match of the day, have taken advantage of the noticeable improvement in playing conditions that has been happening as the hours went by, with less and less water and less intensity in the wind.
A formidable Open, we were saying. The wind, even if it was going from more to less, has acted as a necessary ally of the course to make it even more complicated (the venerable Troon course doesn’t need much help, let’s be clear) and a good part of the best players in the world have already presented their credentials, why wait any longer. Others, however, will have a hard time tomorrow just to make the cut. It’s the inexorable law of golf, the Open and the Majors. Among this second group, which tomorrow will have to row hard (or very hard) to make the cut, it is mandatory to highlight Cameron Smith (+9), winner of the tournament two years ago, Rory McIlroy (+7), Wyndham Clark (+7), Tommy Fleetwood (+5) or Bryson DeChambeau (+5).
Among the first ones, those who are already candidates with stripes, Lowry stands out, of course. Today, as already explained, he has been busy sinking meters and meters of putt, for birdie and for whatever was needed, but let’s not stay in ‘banalities’… The Irishman, from time to time, connects in perfect harmony with himself (free swing, free hands), with the earth, with the breeze and the rainwater if needed… With golf. Then, it is a pleasure to see how he grabs the club, how he moves the putter, how he understands and tames these rough greens, how he walks through these legendary lands. And how he feels the game.
He finished by hitting a shot on the 18th to round off with a birdie this excellent opening of the last major of the year. And no, it is normal that he does not continue to hole with such a high percentage of success, but when Lowry gets on the back of the trance, it must be taken into account. It is inevitable not to remember his victory in Portrush, five years ago, so powerful and uncontested.
Scottie Scheffler (-1) has not even come close to Lowry’s records on the greens, quite the opposite. Nothing too surprising. But there he is. He has been one of the scarce seventeen players who have finished under par and probably one of the best at getting options, at leaving it close or at very reasonable birdie distances. This is not surprising at all from the world’s Number One. Needless to say, his candidacy for victory with this round of 70 strokes is one of the heaviest.
Between Lowry and Scheffler, moreover, an excellent group of players has concentrated. This Open points very high from the start. Justin Thomas (-2), Alex Noren (-2), Nicolai Hojgaard (-2), Justin Rose (-2), Russell Henley (-2), Xander Schauffele (-2), or Adam Scott, Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooks Koepka, the three with -1, just like Scheffler.
