Im, ranked 542nd, shares Irish Open lead; Rahm 1 back
PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland — Rising Spanish star Jon Rahm upstaged tournament host Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open by shooting a 7-under 65 to move one stroke off the first-round lead Thursday.
Rahm, ranked No. 11, showed impressive form on the links two weeks out from the British Open, rolling in six birdies and an eagle on a low-scoring day at Portstewart. He was tied for third place with Englishmen Matthew Southgate and Oliver Fisher.
Daniel Im of the United States, ranked No. 542, and Benjamin Hebert of France, ranked No. 254, held the lead after shooting bogeyfree 64s.
McIlroy, the defending champion and part of a heavyweight group containing Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama, parred his last 11 holes and was at par at a tournament that benefits his foundation.
The No. 2-ranked Matsuyama shot 67.
Rahm has taken a break from the PGA Tour, where he is enjoying a breakthrough season, to play in Europe ahead of the British Open at Royal Birkdale from July 20-23.
He tied for 10th at the French Open last week and is in contention in Ireland, another event in the European Tour’s Rolex Series with a prize fund of $7 million.
He holed a long birdie putt on No. 1 and followed up a bogey and two birdies by rolling in a 20-foot eagle putt on the seventh.
He birdied both par 5 on the back nine before a final birdie on the 15th.
“My attitude was probably the best it’s been all year,” said Rahm, who is known for his fiery temperament. “I was positive all day. Kept my routine going. Stayed calm and the result showed how good it was.”
Im, who made six birdies in his opening eight holes, is leading a European Tour event for the second time in his career. His best finish this year is 14th.
Hebert was the best of the afternoon starters, picking up four straight birdies from No. 13 to join Im atop the leaderboard.
GREENBRIER CLASSIC: In White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Davis Love III shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday, leaving the 53-yearold star two strokes behind firstround leader Sebastian Munoz.
In his best round of the season, Love birdied four of his first five holes on the Old White TPC, which was reconstructed after deadly floods forced the cancellation of last year’s tournament.
Love is set to enter the World Golf Hall of Fame in September. His last win came at the 2015 Wyndham Championship, which made him the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history.
Munoz, a 24-year-old Colombian, was boosted by five birdies on the back nine for a 61.
LPGA CLASSIC: In Oneida, Wis., Belgian rookie Laura Gonzalez Escallon birdied three of the final four holes Thursday for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim in the Thornberry Creek tournament.
Gonzalez Escallon, the 26-yearold former Purdue player who won twice last season on the Symetra Tour, also started fast in the first-year event, making birdies on three of the first four holes.
Kim had eight birdies and a bogey at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in May in Mexico for her sixth LPGA Tour victory.
Tour rookies Madeleine Sheils and Min-G Kim shot 66.
“BONES” TO TV: Jim “Bones” Mackay, the longtime caddie for Phil Mickelson, is going to work for NBC and Golf Channel for the rest of the year. Mackay was the only caddie Mickelson had in his 25-year career. They decided two weeks ago to part ways. Mickelson is using his younger brother, Tim, the rest of the season. Mackay will commence his new role in two weeks at the British Open.
TRUMP COURSE: Mickelson has been selected to redesign an 18-hole golf course in Bali, Indonesia, that will become Trump International Golf Club.