The Open: Shane Lowry trails shock leader at Royal Troon

AS IT STANDS – 6 Brown; -5 Lowry; -3 Thomas; -2 Noren, N.Hojgaard, Rose, Henley, Schauffele SELECTED OTHERS – 1 Scheffler, Koepka, Scott; +5 DeChambeau; +7 McIlroy: +8 Woods

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Inspired by the same conditions that defined his famous victory at Royal Portrush, Shane Lowry made a roaring start at The Open.

Lowry leapt two ahead of morning pacesetter Justin Thomas on a wet and windy day at Royal Troon that saw many of the pre-tournament favourites toil. The Irishman’s birdie on 18 completed a sublime 66, putting him in prime position in the final men’s major of the season.

“Yeah, just tried to go out and play my game and hit some good shots and hole a few putts, and I did that, and I’m pretty happy,” the 2019 Champion Golfer said, rather understatedly in his post-round press conference.

Lowry was then more forthright. “I’d give anything to win this tournament again,” he stressed. “I’d give anything to give myself a chance of winning this tournament again. That’s why I’m here this week.”

Crucially, Lowry also revealed that during his extensive preparations for his most beloved major, he practised in the unexpected prevailing wind on the back-nine that had flummoxed so many in a high-scoring opening round.

“Fortunately enough I came here two weeks ago and I played this wind on the second day that I played here,” he added. “I saw the golf course in every wind possible I could see it. I guess that was a good thing to do, and it’s out there paying off a little bit today.”

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The surprise package of the day, however, is the outright leader. The Englishman Daniel Brown, who is making his debut in golf’s oldest major after coming through Final Qualifying at West Lancashire, fired a stunning bogey-free 65 in the penultimate three-ball to top the leaderboard.

There will be an entirely new kind of pressure on the flying one-time DP World Tour winner during an early Friday start.

Lowry’s Ryder Cup rival Thomas, meanwhile, looks reinvigorated. The two-time major champion opened last year’s first round at the Open with a chastening 82 at Royal Liverpool. The difference here – other than the 14 shots – was a new found control of his swing and and a steely determination in South Ayrshire.

“Yeah, I couldn’t even tell you what I was thinking or how it was then,” Thomas said about last year’s Hoylake horror show. “I’m just worried about how I am now, and I’m very pleased with my game and know things are continuing to work in the right direction. I’ve just got to keep trying to play well.”

Justin Rose also believes.

Rose – who is remarkably only teeing it up after coming through Final Qualifying himself – opened with a bogey free 69 in the brutal morning conditions.

“I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” a buoyant Rose said, still hopeful he can become one of the Claret Jug’s oldest winners.

“I’m 44 soon. History would suggest [time is running out]. But I think the Open offers you that opportunity maybe more than some of the other majors. I still feel very kind of confident in myself that I can actually still improve tomorrow versus today. As long as that’s the case, I’ll keep kind of believing for sure.”

Meanwhile, Scandinavian pair Alex Noren and Nicolai Hojgaard were joined on their two-under total by US PGA champion Xander Schauffele.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler lurks in a cluster of major champions at one-under alongside Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott and Matt Fitzpatrick. The last time American golfers won all four majors in a calendar year was way back in 1982. The odds of that feat being achieved once more appear favourable.

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There should be no repeat, however, of the Bryson DeChambeau vs Rory McIlroy showdown that captured so many last month.

The newly anointed US Open champion had a disastrous start, slipping to five-over par after his first seven holes. That DeChambeau managed to finish on that same total will at least give him hope of an almighty comeback. But McIlroy’s own hopes of immediately claiming redemption after his Pinehurst collapse floundered. His first round 78 included double bogeys on each of Troon’s signature holes, the 8th and the 11th.

“I need to go out there and play better and try to shoot something under-par and at least be here for the weekend,” McIlroy said, “if not try to put myself up the leaderboard a bit more and feel like I have half a chance.”

Teeing off in the afternoon rain and howling crosswinds, Tiger Woods also struggled. After a positive start, the forlorn Woods carded six bogeys and two doubles to post a miserable 79.

For that celebrated duo, an early flight home beckons. Lowry, meanwhile, has another silver chalice on the mind.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.