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SPORTS Friday 21 July 2017
An All-American start to the British Open

By DOUG FERGUSON “I couldn’t have done
AP Golf Writer much better today,” he
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) said.
— The wind off the Irish Royal Birkdale was much
Sea pushed away the rain more kind than it was nine
clouds and bathed Royal years ago in raging wind
Birkdale in sunshine, Stars and rain. The 146th Open
and Stripes. began in cool tempera-
The British Open began tures, a light rain and a
Thursday with an All-Amer- strong wind. Mark O’Meara,
ican flavor. a winner at Royal Birkdale
Jordan Spieth, chomp- in 1998 who is playing in
ing away on gum as he his last British Open, hit the
watched one putt after an- opening tee shot.
other pour into the center And then he hit another
of the cup, worked some one.
bunker magic of his own O’Meara’s first shot was
late in the round to keep his lost in the gorse, he made
card filled only with birdies a quadruple-bogey 8 and
and pars for a 5-under 65. was on his way to an 81.
U.S. Open champion Brooks His threesome required 18
Koepka, with no competi- shots to play that hole. But
tion and barely any prac- the weather settled down
tice since capturing his first Brooks Koepka of the United States plays out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the first round of a few hours later, and the
major a month ago, ran off the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England Thursday, July 20, 2017. scorecards filled up with
three straight birdies and plenty of birdies and ea-
holed a tough shot from a Dustin Johnson and Rory Charley Hoffman had the He made the par putt — gles.
pot bunker for eagle on the McIlroy fall into that cat- best start of all, holing out Spieth made a lot of putts Just not for McIlroy until late
par-5 17th hole for a 5-un- egory. from the rough on the on picked up a two-putt in the round, or Johnson
der 65. Johnson, the No. 1 player daunting opening hole for birdie on the 17th and nar- and Mickelson all day.
Joining them was Matt who hasn’t played the an eagle. He was poised rowly missed a 7-foot birdie “With the weather we’re
Kuchar, who first endeared weekend at a major since to join the leaders when putt on the last. It was his expecting tomorrow, I still
himself to these British fans the British Open last year, he reached 5 under with a best start in a major since feel I’m in the golf tourna-
as a 19-year-old amateur managed only one birdie birdie on the 15th, only to he shot 66 at the Masters ment,” McIlroy said. “If I
in 1998 at Royal Birkdale. on a decent day for scor- drop shots on the next two a year ago. Spieth rated it can go out and play a
Kuchar tied the course re- ing and shot 71. holes. Hoffman shot 69 and among the top five or six good, quality round of golf
cord with a 29 on the front McIlroy also shot 71 and was in a group that includ- rounds he has ever played in the morning and try to
nine, only to fall into a rou- was relieved. Coming off ed Ian Poulter and Rafa in a major, not bad for get in the clubhouse some-
tine of pars the rest of the three missed cuts in his last Cabrera Bello. someone who came close where around even par,
way. He still shot 65, his best four events, he was 5 over Defending champion Hen- to the Grand Slam two under par, I’ll still be around
score ever in a major. through six holes when his rik Stenson, who played years ago. for the weekend.”q
They had a one-shot lead caddie gave him a pep with Spieth, had a 71. Sten-
over Paul Casey and Charl talk. McIlroy closed with son also played with Spieth
Schwartzel on a day that three birdies over the last the first two rounds of the
started nasty and ended four holes to stay in the 2015 Masters that the Texan
with 39 players breaking game. won wire-to-wire and knew
par. The biggest question Phil Mickelson failed to what to expect.
after a long day on the links make a birdie, the first time “He was rolling it superbly
was what was in store for that has happened in a that week, and I don’t think
Friday, when high wind and major in five years, and it was that far behind to-
occasional showers were in shot 73. day,” Stenson said.
the forecast. Kuchar was the only one at But his best shot was with his
“I thought today’s round 65 who played in the after- feet in the sand. Spieth was
was extremely important, noon. The wind remained in thick rough to the right of
as they all are,” Spieth said, strong, though the course the 16th fairway when his
atop the leaderboard at a was manageable for ev- shot crept into the back of
major for the first time since eryone who stayed out of a pot bunker. Not only was
last year’s Masters. “But bunkers and deep grass the ball on a slight slope,
given the forecast com- and who holed putts. the rake marks left his ball
ing in, I thought you really “I watched some of the between two ridges.
needed to be in the red golf this morning on TV. It “This is dangerous,” he said
today. You can certainly looked awfully challeng- to his caddie.
make up ground in a round ing,” Kuchar said. “It looked He aimed to the right of the
tomorrow, and we’ll see it like anything under par was hole to avoid it going off
happen. But being able to going to be a good score. the green on the other side
kind of play with shots, or Seemed like the later your and into another bunker,
play a little more conserva- tee time, the better draw and it came off perfectly
tive because you don’t try you got. ... For me, to start about 10 feet away.
to do too much on a day my British Open with a 29 “That was awesome,” were
like tomorrow, that’s nice on the front nine is a great his next words to his cad-
and very helpful.” way to start.” die.