Yanks get out to fast start at Open
Rested Spieth, Koepka share lead with Kuchar at Birkdale
SOUTHHPORT, ENGLAND » It’s OK for a professional athlete to take an occasional hiatus.
Didn’t we learn that lesson when a fresh and rested Roger Federer won Wimbledon last weekend?
Reminders cropped up Thursday on the first day of the British Open, when the leader board was populated with Americans Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka — who just put down the clubs for four and five weeks — and 39-yearold Matt Kuchar, currently the highest-earning PGA Tour player without a major championship win.
Each shot a 5-under-par 65 to forge a three-way tie at Royal Birkdale, where the churning sky produced a light rain in the morning and postcard-worthy sunshine in the afternoon.
Whereas Kuchar and Koepka turned in scorching nines — Kuchar shot 29 on the front, Koepka 32 on the back — Spieth was outstanding throughout with a 31 and 34.
“Everything was strong,” said Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 and already has two tournament wins this year. “I give it a nine [out of 10] across the board for everything — tee balls, ball-striking, short game and putting. So things are in check.”
It might have been a four-way tie had Charley Hoffman been able to hang on to his stellar round. He got to 5 under before giving back two strokes with consecutive bogeys. He finished in a six-way tie for sixth, a shot behind Paul Casey and Charl Schwartzel. Hoffman hit the shot of the day. From the right rough on the tough opening hole, his shot bounced onto the green and rolled into the cup for an eagle.
This was the first day, and the leader board was as unpredictable as the weather. The Friday
forecast calls for rain in the afternoon but, in talking to locals, it’s anyone’s guess.
Like Federer, the 35-year- old tennis superstar who took time off because of injuries and to avoid burnout, both Spieth and Koepka are rested. That’s somewhat unusual for the British Open, where since 2010 every champion played in a tournament the week before.
Koepka played once, with his manager, since winning the U.S. Open in mid-June.
“It’s funny, I’ll play with my dad and shoot 75 every time or higher,” he said. “It’s hard to get into it. You just need a little bit of competitiveness and a little bit of something to get me going.
“I mean, look at all the majors I’ve played. The record has been pretty good. Any time you put something on the line like that, I get up for it.”
As for Kuchar, he has earned $39.77 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2001 but is still looking for his first victory in a major. His best finish at the Open was a tie for ninth in 2012.
Kuchar believes good golf is more about crushing shots than crunching numbers, so he was unmoved Thursday when he was told that five of the past six British Open winners were 39 or older. Asked why more seasoned players have been particularly successful at this tournament, he said: “I don’t pay attention, and I don’t have an answer. It’s not something I think about.”
The performance of a fellow leader did catch his attention, however.
“Certainly if I was a betting man, certainly not going to rule out Jordan Spieth,” he said. “I think he’s got as good a shot as anybody.”
Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport, sputtered along and shot 76, with no birdies, four bogeys and a double.
“It’s still The Open and I shot six- over,” he said, “but to be honest I’m just thinking about playing tomorrow. I know there were people that will shoot fiveunder tomorrow — there’s a long way to go.”
Anything can happen, as Rory McIlroy can attest. The 2014 British Open winner started Thursday with a tailspin and ended with a club spin. He had five bogeys on the front, and four birdies and no bogeys on the back for a 71.
“Just a bit of lack of confidence over the last couple of weeks, and just letting that get in my head a little bit,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, it’s a major championship. These are the four biggest tournaments of the year. And you want to go out there and shoot a good score and get off to a good start.
“I’m always more ner- vous playing in these four tournaments than I am anything else. And I felt that out there today just because of the lack of selfbelief. But somehow I was able to find it halfway through the round and, again, that’s what I’m going to concentrate on going into tomorrow.”
Rahm penalty reversed
Jon Rahm escaped a penalty for improving the area of his intended swing. As a result, his bogey became a birdie on the 17th hole, and Rahm shot a 69.
It happened in thick grass left of the fairway. Rahm went to move what he thought was a loose twig to the right of his ball. But it was a vine with thorns growing out of the ground. Lee Westwood noticed it and pointed out the violation (Rule 13-2). The walking official said it would be a two-shot penalty. After the round, Rahm met with R& A rules director David Rickman.
He said the vine was not in his intended swing path. Rahm says he moved it only as an instinct to clean up the area around his ball, much like players do with leaves. There was no video evidence of the incident. Rickman says he balanced the facts and rescinded the penalty.
As for the shot? It rolled around the edge of the bunker to about 4 feet.
Fashion plates
Justin Thomas had his “coat” and tie. Jason Day had his high tops. Together they made a fashion statement. More importantly, perhaps, both played well.
Thomas, wearing a Polo Golf cardigan and a loosely knotted tie, shot a 67 and was two strokes off the lead. Day shot 69 while wearing white Nike hightop shoes that stood out against his black pants wherever he walked.
Going low
On a course that traditionally plays tough there were 39 players under par. Another 18 shot even par.