Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie Ian Finnis checks the win on day one of The 152nd Open Championship. | Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A via Getty Images
The weather wreaked havoc on Royal Troon during the first round, and meteorologists predict more of the same for day two.
What is the biggest talking point after Thursday’s first round at The Open Championship? The Scottish summer weather.
A strong southerly wind fooled the players all day, wreaking havoc on Royal Troon. Temperatures in the low 60s and an annoying, intermittent drizzle did not help, either. All of these factored into Royal Troon producing a 74.45 first-round scoring average, a high mark and a testament to how difficult the course played on Thursday,
Only 17 players finished under par as Englishman Daniel Brown—the 272nd ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR)—shot a 6-under 65 to take command of the tournament after day one.
But many players admitted to never seeing this wind at Royal Troon before. Typically, the wind blows in from the north, making Troon’s first six holes play downwind and relatively easy compared to the rest of the course. Yet players faced 20-25 gusts out of the south—the complete opposite of the prevailing wind that comes from the north. As such, the first six holes played more difficult than usual, while the back-nine—one of the most challenging back-nines in the world—played downwind.
Photo by Jane Barlow/Getty Images
An Open flag flies in the wind during the first round at Royal Troon.
Despite that, the second nine still frustrated the world’s best.
“It’s not an easy golf course out there,” said Jon Rahm.
“When it’s into the wind, you’re really cautious, and you have to be understanding of how difficult it is.”
But players better get used to seeing these conditions again on Friday because the forecast calls for much of the same. A slight drizzle in the morning will subside before the afternoon turns overcast. Thirty mile-per-hour gusts will blow across the course from the south for most of the day, but that wind will grow stronger as the day wears on.
The first six holes will once again introduce the players to a difficult day, as fewer players will likely be under par after 36 holes. So get ready to see more carnage, which never fails to entertain golf fans around the world.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
