Portrush, Northern Ireland – is a gift and gets an open kind. Much different than 2022, in St. Andrews, who was all gas and no brakes, trying to shoot 66 daily. This open has many mixed problems about a lot of fun. As evidenced by some things you lost while you were sleeping, which we have detailed below.
1. Hole 1 continues to throw punches
In the first 10 groups to play Friday morning, only one bird was recorded in the 1st hole. We saw Bud Cauley make a triple trio 7 after playing outside the borders on the left. We saw Sergio Garcia made double without going OB, we saw that 13 of those first 30 players get worse or worse, all because that hole is just a torture room.
Out of the left borders, outside the bounds to the right. The wind on the face and from the right. The players have I have been talking about all weekAs we broke down below.
2. Rory’s delightful decision pays the dividend
Nr. 1 is not the single hole early with a bad limit. 2 -Tha also has players to the advantage, and Rory Mcilroy approached as close as you can. When he found his ball in a terrible fescue lie, he did something that you only really see in the tournaments in this part of the world. He received unbearable relief in an already terrible area – but still better than his original lie -.
You need to get “Drop 2, Hit 3” at the fescue shin-high is as smart as it is humble. But you absolutely avoid taking the championship with a triple trunk, or even a quad. Mcilroy knows how it is. He played, stood up and made Putt for par.
3.
The locals will know better than most that it was not long ago the Golf world went down to northern Ireland for a major event. Last September Ireland was received at the Royal County Down, just a few hours south of Portrush, where Rory Mcilroy was similarly in hunting. So much that he kept solo supremacy late in the back of the ninth Sunday.
But this is when Rasmus Hojgaard entered the conversation, Making four birds in his last five holes To Pipuar Ulsterman. Ten months later, Hojgaard has returned as a golf vice in the people of northern Ireland, making the morning turn on Friday for the lead to four under. On Thursday night I asked him if his open Irish victory felt different from his other victories, destroying the local favorite in his homeland. He quickly bored.
“Surely,” he said. “Yes, there is no doubt who was cheering the crowds for that day. Yes, it was good to play the last holes knowing what was in question, and then to do it, yes, it was definitely different from others.
4. Shaun Norris is in pain
The 43-year-old South African played a strong round of 72 on Thursday, but gave it all again and then a few Friday morning in the 4th hole. After pumping his first TEE ball outside the borders, he then found a brutish fairway bunker. From there, he took four shots just to get out of the trap and on the highway. Moreover over a dune he played, then over the green, where he made a 7-foot for a 10.
Fortunately, he still has a chance of a puncture. He made three birds and no other slaps in his first 13 holes of the day, keeping him in hunting to make the cut. He will need some more circles on the score card to do it.
5. ‘The butcher’ is back
Two summer ago, Brian Harman played the best golf of his life, knocking shots down, hitting with wind and rain in Royal Liverpool, after all winning open with six. She amazed everyone, especially the British press, who captured Harman’s love for hunting. He was nicknamed Brian Kasapi that week, adding a bit of British Open Lore.
This week, he is back again, playing a very similar game, not having to bomb the driver anywhere, working tactically his way through the dunes, shooting 69 on Thursday and turning on Friday. Will it be good enough to keep the lead after 36 holes? We’ll see. But it will be absolutely good enough for a late Saturday. That’s what everyone is behind.
;)
Sean zak
Golfit.com editor
Sean Zak is an old writer and author of Looking at St. Andrews, which followed his trips to Scotland during the most important summer in the history of the game.