Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Friday 19 July 2019

British Open back at Royal Portrush and puts on quite a show

much. I don’t have to do
anything. I figure out where
the miss is and where I’m
trying to put it and then go
from there.”
Jon Rahm, a two-time Irish
Open winner at nearby
Portstewart and in the
south at Lahinch two weeks
ago, joined Holmes and
Webb Simpson as the only
players to reach 5 under at
any point during the day.
The Spaniard was particu-
larly sharp from around the
greens, controlling chips
and putts beautifully. He
ran out of luck late, howev-
er, missing a 5-foot par putt
on the 16th and dropping
another shot on the 18th.
Even so, 68 was his best
score in his fourth British
Open.
Duval had hit his worst
score in any tournament
— 91 — mainly from the jolt
of a bad swing on a tough
hole, compounded by an
JB Holmes of the US plays off the 5th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Portrush in Northern oversight. He never found
Ireland, Thursday, July 18, 2019. two of his own tee shots at
Associated Press the par-5 seventh, hit the
By DOUG FERGUSON a 5-iron into the wind to 15 “I’m going to go back the reputation of Northern wrong ball in the process
AP Golf Writer feet for a final birdie and a and see my family, see my Ireland’s ever-changing and with all the penalty
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland 5-under 66. friends, and hopefully they coastal weather. There was shots had a 14, the second-
(AP) — An emotional open- “You just have to accept don’t think any less of me a blue sky and dark clouds, highest score in 159 years
ing shot by Darren Clarke. the conditions over here after a performance like a strong breeze and a stiff of the British Open.
A shocking one by Rory and not get too greedy,” that today,” McIlroy said. wind, shadows and show- “Just one of those God-
McIlroy. Holmes said. “And I’ll dust myself off and ers, all within an hour’s time. awful nightmare scenarios
Tiger Woods had his worst He had a one-shot lead come back out tomorrow “I took on and put off my that happened today,” Du-
score to start a British Open. over Shane Lowry of Ire- and try to do better.” rain gear probably at least val said. “And I happened
Brooks Koepka quickly got land, who didn’t have the Woods didn’t seem quite nine times in nine holes,” to be on the end of it.”
into contention again. level of expectations or the as optimistic. Matt Kuchar said. Forty-one players broke
Emiliano Grillo made a 1. connection to Royal Por- That magical Masters vic- Even so, the scoring was par, and 15 of them were
David Duval made a 14. trush like McIlroy, Clarke tory in April is quickly turning good, without anyone be- within three shots of the
The Open returned to Roy- or native son Graeme Mc- into a memory as Woods ing great. lead. Clarke turned and
al Portrush after a 68-year Dowell, all of whom grew struggles to find the bal- The large group at 68 in- applauded the grand-
absence and made up for up in Northern Ireland and ance between playing and cluded Koepka, who has stand that filled up before
lost time with an unusual never imagined golf’s old- making sure his back holds won three of the last six his opening tee shot at 6:35
amount of theater Thurs- est championship returning up. He has played only 10 majors and looked very a.m., and he treated ev-
day. When more than 15 to their tiny country. rounds since Augusta Na- much capable of adding eryone else to three bird-
hours of golf before a ro- “I feel like for me I can tional, and this was one to the third leg of the Grand ies through five holes. He
bust, sellout crowd finally come here a little more un- forget. Woods three-putted Slam. Koepka was tied for wound up with a 71. Mc-
ended, J.B. Holmes was der the radar than the oth- for bogey on No. 5, bladed the lead at one point until Dowell wiped a tear from
atop the leaderboard at a er guys,” Lowry said. a chip on No. 6 for a double he made his lone bogey on his eye before he teed off,
major for the first time in 11 That wasn’t the case for bogey and stretched his the 17th hole. He has been and he was one shot off
years. McIlroy. arms in mock triumph when runner-up twice and won the early lead until a triple
Even that might have been He was the betting favor- he finally made a birdie — the PGA Championship this bogey at the last hole sent
fitting. The big hitter from a ite who as a 16-year-old his only birdie — on No. 15. year. He started out the fi- him to a 73.
small town in Kentucky had stunned Irish golf with a 61 He ended with another bo- nal major in a tie for third McIlroy’s only hope was
his first taste of links golf at to set the course record at gey for a 78, matching his after the first round. to treat the crowd to four
Royal Portrush during a col- Royal Portrush in the North third-worst score in a major. As usual, Koepka keeps it days, a daunting task when
lege trip, and he recalled of Ireland Amateur. The “Playing at this elite level is a simple, and it helps to have only five players in the 156-
how the caddies kept giv- throaty cheers went silent completely different deal,” Ricky Elliott as his caddie. man field posted a worse
ing him the wrong lines off when his tee shot went left Woods said. “You’ve got to Elliott grew up at Portrush score. He said he wasn’t
the tee because they had and out of bounds. He went be spot on. These guys are and knows the course as the center of attention,
never seen anyone hit it into a bush and had to take too good. There are too well as anyone. and he was right. That be-
that far. a penalty to take it out, and many guys that are playing “It’s easy when he’s just longed to Royal Portrush
Holmes drove the down- he walked off the first green well and I’m just not one of standing on the tee telling and the people who filled
wind 374-yard fifth hole with a quadruple-bogey 8. them.” The Dunluce Links you to hit it in this spot and the links to see champion-
to 12 feet for a two-putt McIlroy finished with a triple held up beautifully in such I just listen to him,” Koepka ship golf. They were treated
birdie, and he ended with bogey for a 79. lush conditions, and so did said. “I don’t have to think to quite the show.q