The Open: Round 1 ‘This & That’

Louis leading, Spieth circling, Bryson bleating.

There was a lot going on during day one of The 149th Open. 

You can find out more about how South African ace Oosthuizen powered into the lead here.

But what follows isn’t that. 

What follows is a look (an irreverent look, if you will) at some of the other bits and bobs that our man on the ground at Royal St George’s – Michael McEwan – noticed on an eventful, incident-packed Open Thursday.

Let’s go…

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Shot of the Day

Brandt Snedeker’s second into the 17th. One hop and in for eagle from the middle of the fairway. Beauty.

Worst Shot of the Day

This yippy piece of abject misery from Will Zalatoris takes the bacon. Viewer discretion advised…

Best dressed

In a move that must have made club members choke on their ham broth, Kevin Kisner rocked up wearing a full-zip hoodie. Magnificent.

Worst dressed

Don’t tell his missus (for obvious reasons) but that ink-spill-camo-polo that Patrick Reed turned up in was absolutely honkin’. 

Quotes of the Day #1

“The driver sucks.”
Bryson DeChambeau resorted to less-than-scientific language to deliver a withering verdict on his big dog.

“It’s really, really painful when he says something that stupid.”
Ben Schomin, Cobra’s head of tour operations, hit back at Bryson.

“It’s probably the one event of the year where you actually don’t mind getting up early. For other events, you sort of drag yourself out of bed and look like the Kellogg’s man.”
Andy Sullivan enjoyed being in the first group this morning

Stats of the Day

• Brooks Koepka’s one-under 69 was his 40th round in the 60s in major championships since 2016 – eight more than any other player in the same period. What a baller.

• Phil Mickelson’s 10-over 80 was only the third time in his career that he’s failed to break 80 in the opening round of an event, and the first since 2003.

WTF of the Day

Jon Rahm opening with a one-over 71. Where the hell did that come from?!

Quotes of the Day #2

“I didn’t get up at six this morning to watch him hit bloody irons.”

A fan reacted badly to Bryson DeChambeau leaving the driver in the bag on the first.

“Once sort of the announcer said right, it’s 30 seconds guys, you’re like, right, this is it. This is what it’s all about. The nerves definitely sort of cranked up a little bit.”

Richard Bland details what it’s like to hit the opening tee shot. (For what it’s worth, he hit a beauty).

Tweet of the Day

Tip of the cap to No Laying Up’s DJ Piehowski for this beautifully-composed social salvo…