Justin Thomas (-3) has the honour of being the first leader of the Open Championship 2024, albeit with the round still in play and a good handful of golfers yet to tee off. The Kentucky golfer has handed in a card of 68 strokes, a more than notable result in quite tough playing conditions at Royal Troon, with intermittent rain and a more than considerable wind that has hardened the first nine holes and not quite softened the second nine as much.
Thomas has signed off a great round of golf, especially brilliant from the tee. At the 10th hole, he was four under par with five birdies to his credit. No one had a better partial at that stretch. However, at the 12th hole, Uncle Paco from Scotland arrived with the sales. The sales are always waiting for you on a links course if you’re not sharp from the tee. Thomas sent his tee shot into the bushes and had to drop. Double bogey. Immediately afterwards, another errant tee shot and one more bogey. His solid lead vanished and he was one under par.
His reaction was sensational on the last two holes. He hit a great shot on the 17th to leave himself practically made birdie and sank a great putt of about eight meters on the 18th to finish three under par, one ahead of Alex Noren, Nicolai Hojgaard, Russell Henley and Justin Rose. Also under par at the time of writing this report are Adam Scott (-1), Matt Wallace (-1) and Chris Kirk (-1). Few and chosen are winning against the course today in western Scottish lands.
Thomas wasted no time in declaring his love for this style of golf again. “I love all links. I haven’t played one yet that I dislike or think is bad. I think they’re all unique and fun. They can be played very differently. For example, on the 18th hole, with 180 yards to the flag, you can hit up to seven different shots. I really enjoy this creative part of golf. If I had to play only one type of golf in my life, it would be on links courses,” he assured after finishing his round.
As much as he likes links, the reality is that Thomas does not have a great record on these courses. He has played the Open seven times and has never finished in the top ten. Moreover, this start he has had is enough to have the meats open, although it may seem a paradox. Every time he has shot under 70 in the first round of the Open, the next day he has cashed in. In 2016, his first British, curiously at Royal Troon, he started with a powerful 67 and the next day he shot 77. The following year, he started at Birkdale with a round also of 67 and followed on Friday with an 80. Even in 2018 at Carnoustie, when he started with a 69, the next day he shot 77. Of those three starts, only at Troon was he able to make the cut.
So, this start guarantees nothing for this Justin Thomas, much less after what happened in Scotland a week ago, when he started on Thursday with a 62 and signed a 72 the next day. Meats open on the links when he shoots under 70 on the first day.
The American, who has signed his best start in a Major since he won the PGA Championship in 2022, prefers to forget everything before and focus on the present. He is optimistic. “I’ve had a couple of moments where I could have risked a bit more and I’ve preferred to be conservative. I think I’ve improved and matured a lot in that part of golf, especially on the links. I don’t think about what happened last year (he started with 82), or last week, I just know that I’m doing things very well and I feel that I’m very close. I just need some consistency in the weeks,” he points out. Well, that’s it, meats open.
The toughness of Troon has already claimed some victims, such as Keita Nakajima (+9), Bryson DeChambeau (+5), Sahith Theegala (+6), Tommy Fleetwood (+5), Max Homa (+5), Tom Kim (+5) Rory McIlroy (+7), Sungjae Im (+5), Viktor Hovland (+4) or Ludvig Aberg (+4).
