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SANDWICH, England – Louis Oosthuizen forgot about those finalists from the last two majors and rose to the top of the standings on Thursday, giving the Open a familiar feel.
Normalcy returned to windswept ties at Royal St. George’s in other ways as well.
The roars and cheers of the largest crowd of golfers since the pandemic roared around this quirky course off Sandwich Bay, just like in pre-COVID times.
For Jordan Spieth, who is 1 header away, it was as welcome as being a competitor in the Open again.
“It feels on the ropes, from the first tee forward, the most normal of any tournament we’ve played so far compared to this same tournament in previous years,” said Spieth.
Oosthuizen saved the par of a fairway bunker at No.18 for a 6-under-64. That tied the lowest first round at Royal St. George’s, previously set by Christy O’Connor Jr. in 1981.
That didn’t appear to be the case after the South African opened up with seven straight pars. He followed with six birdies in his next nine holes.
“I’ve learned over the years playing in major championships that patience is the key,” said Oosthuizen, who has finished second in majors six times since winning the St. Andrews Open in 2010. .
Oosthuizen and Spieth were among the morning starters who took advantage of the better conditions, including soft bounces on the most hilly fairways and greens of the Open rotation.
Yet many of the best in the world have not been able to take advantage of it.
Patience may already be thin for US Open champion Jon Rahm, who slapped his thigh in frustration after making a double bogey at No.9, where he fired 2 shots to get out of a pot bunker in the fairway. He shot 71, like Bryson DeChambeau, who spent much of his first lap knee-deep in the deep grass – and cursing his driver, saying it was “stinky” – after being unable to use his power to overwhelm Royal St. George’s.
2019 Open winner Shane Lowry also shot 71 in front of a crowd with a daily capacity of 32,000 this week. Since Royal Portrush, where Lowry won, no golf tournament has seen so many spectators walk through the gates.
With last year’s event canceled due to the pandemic, Lowry could finally be announced at an Open as the reigning golf champion.
“It was a very special day for me,” he said.
This was not the case for the majority of the afternoon starters, who encountered more prolonged gusts off the English Channel and slightly drier conditions.
Rory McIlroy birdied the last to recover a 70 in his attempt for his first major title in seven years. Justin Thomas shot 72. Phil Mickelson shot 80, his best start ever at the Open, which tied him for last.
Benjamin Hebert and Webb Simpson, with rounds of 66 that tied them for fourth place with three others, had the best scores of the afternoon. Former PGA Champion Collin Morikawa, in his first bond test, and England favorite Tommy Fleetwood were at 67.
Fleetwood would love nothing more than to become England’s first golfer with his name on this silver jug since Nick Faldo in 1992.
“It’s been a long time since an Englishman won the Open, and I’d love to be next. So we’ll see,” said Fleetwood.
Brian Harman was tied for second with Spieth after netting five birdies in his first eight holes and finishing with a 65. Top-ranked Dustin Johnson hit 14 greens in regulation and said he was happy with his round of. 68 which had tied him for 19th.
The return of the spectators gave the impression of a real Open, especially on the hill overlooking the 6th par-3 hole which drew some of the biggest galleries of a day which started with blue and cloudless skies.
Just before noon, the group of Stewart Cink, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all hit tee shots within 6 feet of the hairpin. As they walked onto the green, a spectator shouted, “You three should be professionals.
To which Kaymer’s younger brother Craig Connolly replied from across the green: “You should be a comedian.”
Spieth said: “I feel like the fans here are very familiar with the sport and they are having fun as well.”
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