Mixed conditions, Scottie Scheffler near lead

Portrush, Northern Ireland – British Open had a little of everything Thursday, from sun to rain, a breeze with strong gusts. And not a surprise, he had Scottie Scheffler in the mixture.

Former United States champion Matt Fitzpatrick managed the famous “Calamity Corner” by 3 16th by repressing Birdie. Harris English, whose long-standing shopping cart has not been able to obtain a travel visa for the United Kingdom due to the prison sentence purged 20 years ago, put his short part of the bag and made seven birdies.

They were among the five players tied for the head 4 under 67, the largest logjam after 18 holes of the British Open because there was equality of six in 1938.

Scheffler, player No. 1 of the world, who has not finished in the top 10 in the last four months, a section which includes another major between three victories. He was satisfied with the work of the day of 68, even by hitting only 3 of the 14 fairways

Rory McILroy made a bogey on the opening hole before a massive gallery – which was still three shots better than his departure in 2019 – and surmounted three bogeys in a section of four holes with a key steep on n ° 17 which allowed him to break the peer at 70.

“It was a fairly difficult day,” said McILroy, who hit only two fairways, “especially to cut rough bunkers or out of the filles most of the time. So shooting was a good effort.”

It is not that the best in golf was necessarily wild of the tee. There was this small question of time, often the biggest defense of the golf of links, which brought the occasional rain, the constant wind and the rounds which lasted almost six hours.

This is why Scheffler seemed puzzled by so much attention to his precision of the tee.

“You are the second guy who mentioned me,” he said. “In fact, I thought I was driving it pretty well. I don’t know what you see. When it rains laterally, believe it or not (it is not so easy to put the ball in the fairway.

“Really had only one swing of which I was not too satisfied with the second hole. But outside, I felt like I hit a lot of good shots from T-shirt, I hit the really solid ball, so really a little confidence for the next strokes.”

There was also an iron 4 to 3 feet on the 16th, the start of a Birdie-Birdie-Par finish.

But no one could go extremely low.

Jacob Skov Olesen, the British amateur champion last year in Denmark, was the first player to reach 5 sous to a Bogey at the last. He was joined at 67 by Li Haotong de China, then Fitzpatrick joined the group with his wonderful chip-in. The Englishman and the Christiaan Bezuenhout were the only players of the afternoon wave to join them at 67 years old.

Fitzpatrick has reached a low point of his game in the players’ championship and seems to be back on the right track, especially with what he called a well -balanced game in difficult conditions on these links. He came out of equality for the fourth last week in the Scottish Open.

The chip-in was its highest point, good below the green on the right and in the cup on the fly.

“A little luck, of course,” said Fitzpatrick, who attended Northwestern for a quarter in 2013. “Sometimes you need it. He just got out a little harder than I had planned and on the perfect line.”

Li could have had the most impressive tour, keeping the bogeys of his card by launching a putt per 10 feet on the final hole.

Another round without Bogey belonged to Justin Rose, 44, in the 69 -year -old group who included Lee Westwood, 52, the former Open Brian Harman and Lucas Glover, who was tied for the head to a pair of Bogeys at the start of the new back.

English and Olesen were the only players reaching 5 under at any time.

The Englishman walked with Ramon Bescansa, a former player, an occasional shopping cart and above all known for teaching and shelter.

Eric Larson, who has been shopping for English in the past eight years, was denied a new travel visa required for the United Kingdom. Among the red flags, there are anyone serving more than 12 months in prison. Larson served 10 years for a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, a case of knowledge of friends in the Midwest who wanted it and the people of southern Florida who had it.

Bucansa caddies for Abraham Ancer de Liv, who did not qualify for open. The Englishman is in a crucial section of the season as he tries to make the Ryder Cup team. The tagged Georgian is not disturbed by many, and he managed the disturbance with ease.

Golf was quite stable too

“I was looking forward to coming this week, and immediately after playing the course, I really liked,” said the Englishman, who did not qualify for the open when he was in Portrush in 2019. “I loved the way it frames the starting strokes and you can see many more problems than you would do on a normal links.”

For everyone, the most difficult part was to stay dressed for the occasion. There were sweaters then combinations of rain, and some ended their turn in short -sleeved shirts. This is what we mean by “mixed” conditions in the forecasts.

The defending champion Xander Schauffele had a mixture of birdies and Bogeys who added to a 71 peer 71. Shane Lowry, the last open champion of Royal Portrush in 2019, had the nerves of someone who struck the opening blow. He managed this beautifully, as well as most of the other shots in the worst time in his round of 70.

And it could be just the start.

“We are going to have difficult conditions in the coming days,” said Lowry. “Today, for example, the 11th hole was like the worst hole to get the weather in which we made.