Basque golfer Jon Rahm (29) had a very poor start at the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon in Ayrshire (Scotland). The Barrica player finished the first day with a card of 73 strokes, two over par, which leaves him with several options to qualify for the Claret Jug.
He provisionally leads the classification of the final Chief American of the Year Justin Thomas, champion of the 2022 PGA Championship, with -3 (68 strokes), after a windy and cold first day.
A bad start
Rahm got off to a poor start with three bogeys and a birdie to leave him at +2 on the second day.
It was evident from the start of Rahm’s tour that the Basque did not have a good feel on the Scottish course of Troon, which was hosting the British Open once again after eight years. The player from Barrika missed three fairways in the first four holes and his ball went into the long grass on the side. Nevertheless, Rahm managed to save par in the first three holes with good approach shots.
Jon Rahm follows the trajectory of the ball on the 11th hole
On the fourth hole, Rahm began his agony by suffering a first bogey (+1), which he repeated on the 13th and 16th holes, his best shot coming from the fifth, in which he was close to signing a birdie (-1). Disappointed by missing a five-foot putt. The only birdie of the day was made on the 8th.
The Basque golfer, who has not won an individual tournament for 15 months (since the 2023 Augusta Masters), paid a heavy price for his irregularity in his British Open debut, which he never recovered.
gloomy
Rory McIlroy, second at the US Open a month ago, signs a miserable +7 and says goodbye to the British Open
One of the names on the first day was the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, the 2014 British champion, who had a disastrous, nightmare start: he closed the first round with a card of 78 strokes in the 18 holes of the course, that is, + 7 over par, with only one birdie on the 3rd. In the first two he went into the bunker.
The Northern Irishman was the living image of disappointment, as he said goodbye to being able to win the US Open just a month after he was able to do so (he finished second by one stroke).
The best hits
Stefan Jager nails an eagle from the tall grass along the edge on the 13th hole
On the opposite side of the first day played the German Stefan Jäger, author of the best shot of the day with an eagle on the 13th hole.
The German golfer sent the ball into the long grass, and with a long lob shot helped by Traun’s wind, he managed to get the ball back into the hole on the second attempt. A talented guy after all. However, Jäger did not have a good card, finishing with 74 strokes, +3.
