Aussies enjoy lunch more than first round
ADAM Scott and Jason Day may not be the most accomplished Australians at Winged Foot Golf Club.
The executive chef at the six-star facility, Rhy Waddington, is a Victorian whose tucker is all fairways and greens.
If cooking had world rankings he would be top 10, from all reports, and it was to his kitchen that Scott was referring after an opening round at the US Open that was not especially pleasing to the palate.
“It was a nice way to finish the round. Lunch is going to taste a lot better,” Scott (pictured) said after a birdie-birdie finish left him with a one-overpar 71, six shots adrift of firstround leader, American Justin Thomas.
“I needed it. I was kind of stalling at the end there.”
Nine Australians are in the Open field and none broke par, with Scott and Cam Smith the best-placed at tied 33rd.
Lucas Herbert, Jason Day, and Marc Leishman shot 72, while Scott Hend and Curtis Luck (75s) and Lukas Michel (80) have plenty of work to do.
Scott and Smith’s efforts were soothed by only 21 players breaking par and expectations the notoriously challenging Winged Foot would play especially tough on the weekend.
Smith was two-under for the back nine to avoid complete stomach-churning disaster at the scene of Geoff Ogilvy’s 2006 US Open win. Day’s two birdies were spoiled by a pair of bogeys plus a ragged double-bogey on the parthree third.
Thomas closed with a 25foot birdie putt to seize the lead, while three other major winners lurked within two shots.
Third-ranked Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner, fired a five-under 65 with a pack one back on 66 including 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed.
Tiger Woods grinded his way to a three-over par 73, putting the 15-time major winner in jeopardy of missing the cut.