Portura, Northern Ireland – Judah is just after 9pm and near the end of a marathon Thursday at Royal Portrush. Rory Mcilroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas ended a six-hour round. And I’m ending this story, nervous if there is somewhere in the portrait that will still serve us at dinner.
But I am enlivened by the first round of this year’s open championship. We have an interesting chart, we have a scary golf course and have a whole package of scenes that unfold in the coming days. So let’s reach 10 images, sounds and stories from Thursday’s main characters.
(Sidenote: The middle-middle coverage leads to some ridiculous decision-making. It is light up to 10:30 or later, but many small town cuisine near 8:30 afternoon, which means after a long job, is easier to go to nine holes than finding a meal.
1. Matthew Fitzpatrick’s new coach is working wondering.
Matthew Fitzpatrick says His hit game at the end of the rock in the players, where he lost the cut and split for a long time Caddy Billy Foster. But he has worked with Mark Blackburn since the week after the masters and, interesting, his access game has been scary since the week after the masters. Its last three pre-open results: T17-T8-T4. Its position in this open: T1.
What did Fitzpatrick say: “(Players) was the lowest I was, I felt, in my career. It could have been the worst, too, I also run I also played.
2. Jon Rahm released some tensions
Jon Rahm hit a strong blow to the par-4 11 and then snapped in a fan In disappointment as they would cause medium concern. This video quickly went viral, with Rahm leaving the fan:
“Really? Whistling?” he chirped. “Excellent time. Right in my back. Very smart – whoever it was.”
It was interesting, therefore, to hear a quieter RAHM address the situation after finishing a round of 1-nine 70, offering a window in his frustrated mind in the process.
What did Rahm say: “I mean, if I were to paint a picture. You have the hardest goal on the course, it is raining, on the wind from the left, it’s enough. I know they are not doing it on purpose. It just seemed as if someone trying to get someone for whatever it is. It was bad time.
“I think I’ve only used the moment to leave any tension I had in me. It really isn’t – it’s what it is. Being honest, it certainly didn’t affect as much as I did it. It was a bad rhythm too. Just a hard hole.
3. Phil does not want to speak politics. Or Grant Horvat
… But he wants to play a good golf.
Mickelson shot a round of opening 1st in the 70’s and had praise for open fans, connecting golf and specific configuration in Royal Portrush.
What Mickelson said: “I simply find out that it is a very useful course if you hit good shots and a very penalizing course. It seems to be compatible with how good or bad you hit it.”
Reporters did not get a blow to Mickelson within a while, so he was not a friend to hear their question lines to get a couple. But they hit the dead conclusions in the future of Open in Muirfield (“I really don’t go into politics for this. There are some things I get in politics but not them.”) And the controversy about Golf on youtube Horvat’s Decision not to play a PGA Tour event Because of the issues of rights. (“I won’t go to the weeds for this. I just like (Grant).)
4. Scottie Scheffler likes to play better than talk.
But he is still quite good at both. Scheffler’s Tuesday Conference for Press He also revised outside our little golf bubble because his comments on the quick nature of success – and to win, specifically – were so attractive. After he shot 3 under Thursday, he was asked about the response to those comments.
What Scheffler said: “This week I’m trying to play well enough to win the golf tournament. I think I’ve made it quite clear throughout my career. As for my comments or anything like that, Doug always asks many questions, so I blame it.”
(“Doug” refers to Doug Ferguson of AP, a well-known reporter who has a frightening relationship with most of the high good-not said with a fuss.)
“No, I mean, I think I try to be as honest as I can with you, with the things I am ready to say some kind.
“But it really is just a matter of perspective, and I have had some players to come to me and say they feel and think the same things. If someone has disagreed with me, they haven’t said it in my face yet, so I don’t know what the reaction would be. But in general I’m happy to be playing golf and competing again.”
It was only appropriate that Scheffler completed his press conference with a one -word response. Asked if there were any shots that stood away from his day, here’s what he said:
“No.”
5. Shane Lowry is happy – and relieved.
The Irishman won Open for the last time he was in Portrush, and he was excited but also openly concerned about his predicted return. After a round of opening 1-Nine 70, his prevailing emotion seemed to be relief.
What did Lowry say: “Everything is great. I’m happy,” he said. “I’ve fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. The 1st hit was not that easy. I didn’t feel very comfortable there. I felt like I was able to handle myself very well. The crowds were amazing. Everything about this tournament was simply excellent.
6. That first shot shot? Will test you
We know this from Rory Mcilroy in 2019. We know him from Padraig Harrington on Thursday morning. We have FIRST OB left and OB rightAnd we saw some guys hit really weird tee shots Thursday morning, with at least three traveling less than 175 yards. But my favorite dose of honesty after the round came from Richard Teder, the first Estonan to ever play this event:
What did Teder say: “A little crazy in the 1st hole. I thought I would go to black. I told myself it’s another golf shot. It is a 2-when my favorite club. But the whole day was just incredible. Crowds, fans.”
7. There is a monk near the superiority.
If you were choosing someone to thrive under the pressure of the big sample and the pace of playing the traffic level, you would do well to choose a monk. As far as I know, only one person sits in the center of the Pro Golfer-Monk Venn diagram: Sadom Kaewkanjana.
What did Kaewkanjana say: “Yes, it’s my responsibility in Thailand, so I think it’s a new experience to be a monk. They help you more focus on the golf course or out of the golf course. It has made me a lot of focus. Forget everything out, just live in the present. So I really like being a monk.”
8. Jason’s day was harsh for himself.
The day is obsessed with the process, and on Thursday, he referred his process as “quite terrible”. Golf links can try you. The wind and rain can try you. The main sampling pressure can test you. It is understandable that staying in your process would be much tougher, given the circumstances.
What day did he say: “I was a very tall professional to get this mistake. To work hard to come this week and then go out there and having poor process is not acceptable, especially in my eyes.
“There is no one other than myself that I have to blame because I put on hard work and I go there and have a poor process. Don’t get the right numbers, start doing bogeys, that’s all for me unfortunately.
“I have to do a better job for him and hope to go back tomorrow and do it again. Play better.”
9. Sometimes it’s just nice to get some applause.
Dean Burmeter says he is obsessed with golf links because he is fixed after his 1-and-heeled hit, and both go side by side. But he also has a deep appreciation for the open championship fans. His reasoning? They don’t know who he is.
What did Burmeter say: “You know what, I feel like fans here appreciate a good shot. They tighten you in the Tee box. They tighten you in the many greens you walk up.
10. The Xander Schauffle’s Caddy got a special BB.
That was something fun I didn’t know: Open’s defensive champion gets a special Caddy BB. If the Tour de France has the yellow jacket, the open has the non -yellow jacket. However, Schauffle finished the day exactly where it began: even before. And he served a reminder that as long as you are at a shouting distance, there is a LOT of the left golf.
What Schauffe said: “It is a Major’s Thursday. It is a positioning battle. If you are getting good clubs and this, you can go out there and shoot a beautiful number, but it is really just trying to position yourself to come the weekend. Maybe then (protecting the champion) will be an advantage.”
Dylan Dothier is an elderly writer for Golf Magazine/Golf.com. Native Williamstown, Mass. Dothier is a graduate of Williams College, where he graduated in English, and he is the author of 18 in Americawhich details last year as an 18-year-old living out of his car and playing a round of golf in every state.
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