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5 Things We Learned from Day 1 at the Open Championship

Published

9 years ago

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We knew that wind mattered, but when we don’t play an out-and-back course on the regular, we forget how much. How many golfers were four- or five-under par after eight or nine holes, only to finish close to par at round’s end? Wind wasn’t the only instructor on Day 1 at Royal Troon, so let’s take a look at the other things we learned on Open Thursday.

Phil Mickelson is a great story

Having missed the cut in the year’s first two major championships and being on a three-year victory drought, Philly Mick was totally expecting eight birdies and a run at 62. After doing everything right (80 percent of fairways hit, 90 percent of greens in regulation, and a mere 26 putts) Phil found himself in the clubhouse with a three-stroke lead AND a desire to cry. That’s what makes champions great — the feeling that one always got away. That last victory for Mickelson? The 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield. Here’s hoping that Phil hangs around through Sunday!

Related: Phil Mickelson’s WITB from the Open

Oh, ICYMI, here’s how close he was to that 62.

A bunch of Under-30s want to win a major

And they’re going about it the right way. Andy Sullivan (OK, he’s 30), Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, and Billy Horschel all signed for four-under par or better. Reed held the lead for most of the day, until Phil’s Phireworks took over the top spot. Each of these golfers is a legit talent, lacking only the confidence that comes from winning a first major, to become a multiple major winner. Not too far behind them are a few more 20-somethings, including Rickie Fowler, Thomas Pieters, and Emiliano Grillo. In other words, it could be a young guys’ Open Championship come Sunday afternoon.

Holes-in-one are awesome

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 champion golfer of the year at St. Andrews, had a yawner of a round on Thursday. Fifteen pars, two bogeys … and an ace. The South African jarred his tee shot on the 178-yard 14th hole, his second ace in a major of 2016. Oosthuizen holed in one in April on the 16th at Augusta National. Oosthuizen missed out on a second Open championship last year when he lost a playoff to Zach Johnson.

Old guys can make waves, at least on Day 1

I’m still not over Tom Watson losing in 2009, so let’s not talk about that. Instead, fast forward to 2016 and find Darren Clarke, Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez at 71, and the Big Daddy of them all, Vijay Singh, at 69. This doesn’t happen at other major championships, whose conditioning favors the young, supple and strong, and offers evidence that The Open is the most complete major championship of the four. The British championship rewards golfers that fly it high or roll it low with equality, as long as they do it efficiently and accurately. Hear, Hear!

Greens can be kept at manageable speeds

Guess how many ball-moving-on-green issues the Royal and Ancient will need to address this week? Unless a hurricane moves in, zero. Know why? They are mowing the greens at acceptable lengths. Royal Troon’s putting surfaces are nowhere near as undulating as the previous major in 2016. Nerves on days three and four will even things out at Royal Troon by tournament’s end, so take a lesson U.S.-based major championships, and let the grass grow a bit beneath your feet.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

22 Comments

22 Comments

  1. larrybud

    Jul 15, 2016 at 10:44 am

    I’ve watched Phil’s putt 20 times… I still can’t believe that didn’t go in.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Ronald Montesano

    Jul 15, 2016 at 9:57 am

    Doug in the Facebook comments section above:

    I forgot O’Meara, for goodness’ sake. He’s making the cut for the weekend.

    Reply Report comment

  3. Jack always

    Jul 15, 2016 at 7:13 am

    Put well your in buiss

    Reply Report comment

  4. Peter Shaw

    Jul 15, 2016 at 4:11 am

    Bowditch is an absolutely great guy who is the same now as he was 10 years ago …except that now he has beaten depression and Bi-polar! Been close to taking his own life when in the depths of the Black dog! He will be back as he is full of talent and golf is not everything now! Go Steve!

    Reply Report comment

  5. Bt

    Jul 14, 2016 at 11:31 pm

    Where’s my ball tracerrrrrrrrrrrrr

    Reply Report comment

    • Tom W

      Jul 15, 2016 at 12:46 am

      if ya can’t see ur ball ya got a problem.

      Reply Report comment

  6. RedX

    Jul 14, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    Nice piece Ronald.
    Zero ball moving incidents is a brave call. Not to be controversial but there was an apparent ball moving event on the 8th green. Alex Noren needed to call in the walking rules official. The walking rules official radioed in the roaming official who attended for a second opinion / ruling. After detailed discussions and 5+ min delay Noren proceeded to putt out without a penalty having been assessed. The commentary team were speculating about the nature of the incident at length but didn’t have the details. Anyway, nice piece. Play On !

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jul 15, 2016 at 7:40 am

      Curses, foiled again! Those must have been the minutes I missed doing yoga or making coffee or some other maddening pursuit. Thanks for the input, RedX, have to hold those writers accountable for their oversights.

      Reply Report comment

  7. RedX

    Jul 14, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    Nice piece Ronald.
    That of course was Troon at its easiest. With the course greener than planned and the weather perfect. Wind (the reason the greens are prepared to run at a more sedate speed) hasn’t yet played a part. Wind speed forecasts are pretty constrained – but who can believe a weather forecast in Scotland anyway.

    As an aside (not to incite controversy) the count on ball moving on green rulings won’t be zero. There was some sort of “ball moved on green” event (Alex Noren on the 8th) which caused a 5-10 min delay and the visit of both the walking rules official with the group and in turn the roving official. No was penalty assessed but the actual details of the query were not covered by the commentary team who were unsure what had actually happened. Anyway – nice piece – Play On!

    Reply Report comment

  8. andrew

    Jul 14, 2016 at 6:04 pm

    Edit: Louis O. had 15 pars not 15 birdies

    Reply Report comment

  9. b-b-b-bird bird bird b-bird's the word

    Jul 14, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    Lol 15 birdies became 15 pars

    Reply Report comment

  10. Cat

    Jul 14, 2016 at 5:21 pm

    well there’s a reason it’s called *The* Open. The original, the greatest and the most romantic tournament in golf.

    Go on Philly Mick!

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jul 15, 2016 at 7:46 am

      It’s different for us. I attempt to envision one of the other three majors leaving the USA and I reduce it to one of two, since US Open must stay. 2/3 of the time I imagine the PGA and 1/3, the Masters. Then I remember that the cool thing about this Open is that it’s in Great Britain, which is “romantic” as you indicated, in many a US golfer’s eye and heart. I don’t know that a major in South America or Australasia or Africa would have that same effect.

      Reply Report comment

  11. G'ed up

    Jul 14, 2016 at 4:33 pm

    Smizzle didn’t lie about Bowditch being in last place all the time did he. I know he’s not technically last but he’s close enough.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jul 14, 2016 at 5:12 pm

      Do you know Bowditch’s back story? That he is alive is miraculous.

      Reply Report comment

      • G'ed up

        Jul 14, 2016 at 5:34 pm

        No I don’t. I’ll look it up. I’ve just noticed since reading what he said Bowditch seems to always be extremely close to the bottom.

        Reply Report comment

  12. 8thehardway

    Jul 14, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    At 59, Tom Watson’s final hole in 2009 devastated everyone and it would be great if Phil wins but I just don’t see four days of magic in him.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jul 14, 2016 at 5:11 pm

      If Phil gets a break with weather tomorrow, he has a chance. I don’t see him mudding well at all. You put it correctly: he needs four days of magic. One down, three to go.

      Reply Report comment

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