Reigning Open Championship winner Brian Harman made a measured decision on Thursday as he stared at the fabled “Postage Stamp,” and the long, narrow landing area that earned the par-3 eighth its nickname as the signature hole at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
“I executed that shot just like I wanted to,” Harman said post-round. “And if you execute like you want to from 115 yards, you ought to be not making bogey.”
Harman shot a 2-over 73 and was in much better shape to scratch back into contention than many others.
Tyrrell Hatton had the same score but wore his emotional discouragement on his face. The England native who tied for 20th at the 2023 Open Championship strained to recall a recent time when he was more frustrated leaving the course.
“It was a tough day, and conditions were tough to deal with,” Hatton said of his round with two bogeys and 16 pars. “For the most part, I did pretty well. My ball-striking day was pretty awful. It’s one of the worst rounds I think I’ve had this year, in terms of how I think I’ve hit the golf ball. It wasn’t a fun experience.”
Scotsman Robert MacIntyre felt his round was “almost perfect” and finished 1 over with raucous support from his homeland fans.
“Wasn’t comfortable at all,” last week’s Scottish Open champion said.
The links layout at Royal Troon typically brings wind into play on the back nine, with the wind aiding tee shots on the front. MacIntyre said he noticed early Thursday that several players entered the first round with a strategy of “just send driver the first few holes and to pitch up there,” only to realize the wind in their face made it impossible.
And anyone who thought the adventure was over by reaching the green had a rude awakening.
“I thought I rolled them well, and they went the opposite way,” MacIntyre said. “But that’s Troon.
“It’s very subtle. It’s old-school links golf where the greens are very flat but they just kink left to right, and the crosswinds, as well, when you’re hitting a putt, the ball will move in the wind.”
Making the cut could be a miracle for a few big names with a lot of work to do Friday.
Australia’s Cameron Smith was 9 over and the 81 on his scorecard was helped by a birdie on his final hole. Rory McIlroy was only two shots better at 7 over and U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is 5 over.
Smith was in awe of playing partner and tournament leader Shane Lowry’s play on Thursday. He doesn’t question the difficulty of the links course after experiencing cool conditions, wind and some late-round rain.
“No, it’s hard, mate. A lot of crosswinds. Hard to keep your ball in the fairway,” Smith said. “And when you’re in the rough, you’re kind of guessing with landing something short with the bounces you get. It was brutal. It really was a good test of golf, and you needed to be on your A-plus game to shoot under par, and I witnessed it.”
–Field Level Media