Poulter plays with ‘freedom’ as he breezes to share of clubhouse lead
0 Rory Mcilroy plays out of a bunker as he labours towards a 10-over par first-round score in yesterday’s first round at Shinnecock Hills. 0 Ian Poulter broke 70 in the opening round for first time.
Scotland’s Russell Knox settled down to watch the “carnage” unfold after a promising opening round on the Long Island course.
Three birdies in his first five holes gave Knox a share of the early lead in tough, windy conditions and although he eventually had to settle for a round of 73, that was good enough to lie only four shots off the clubhouse lead. “I got off to a flier which was great but it was tough,” the Florida-based 32-year-old said. “I was saying to my caddie with a couple of holes to go that it’s so tough to even hit a green with a nine iron in your hand.
“You have to embrace it and some do more than others. I enjoy it, though, and obviously grew up playing in much worse.
“The ball was going nowhere into the wind and then miles downwind, so it was just a true test. I’m looking forward to watching the carnage on TV this afternoon.
“I did notice my name on the leaderboard at one point and have to admit I felt a little tingle. It’s nice to birdie the first and get out of the gates with some beautiful iron shots. You feel you have a chance to hang on. If you get behind early, you could feel like you could shoot a million.”
Knox was 20th in the world when he was controversially overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card in 2016, but has failed to win since and started the week 145th in the rankings.
“People keep telling me I am close and I keep shouting at them I am not close –it’s there!” Knox added. “Maybe it’s just been one element of the game that hasn’t been the greatest here or there, but I have been flushing it the last few weeks so I just need to keep executing.”
Fellow Scot Calum Hill, from Kinross, carded a five-over-par first-round score of 75 while amateur Ryan Lumsden was four over after ten holes.
Richie Ramsay was six over after 15.