Rory McIlroy, hopeful of bouncing back from his U.S. Open collapse, took a double bogey on the famed “Postage Stamp” eighth hole, and piped a driver out of bounds on the 11th for another double bogey. He already was 5-over and fading.
Thomas was not immune.
He was one of three players who reached 4-under among the early starters and had the wind at his back for the inward nine at Troon. And then his tee shot landed in a bush that required a penalty drop and he missed a 4-foot putt and made double bogey. His next drive took a wild hop into grass so deep his caddie called out to the gallery, “Last call. Anyone see the other ball to the right?” They eventually found it, but it led to bogey.
“A little bit of a hiccup in the beginning of the back nine but stayed patient and kept plugging,” Thomas said.
Indeed, Thomas managed to keep it together. He avoided another bogey with a 12-foot par putt, and finished with a 6-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th that showed how much wind was helping — 4-iron off the tee, wedge into 25 feet on the 458-yard closing hole.
Justin Rose, who had to go through final qualifying to get into the Open, was equally impressive by playing bogey-free for a 69, joined by a group that included Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark and Alex Noren, who only qualified through the Scottish Open.
Matt Wallace was one of those at 4 under early in his round, only to take triple bogey on the ninth hole. He finished at 69, along with Adam Scott.
Justin Leonard, a winner at Royal Troon in 1997, returned for the first time since 2016 and was given the honor of the opening tee shot with the shiny claret jug positioned nearby on a podium. He had an 80, one of already five rounds of 80 or higher. That list included John Daly, who made an 8 on the final hole for an 82.
