Emergency 9: The Open Championship, Round 1

Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the 147th Open Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, plays to Par-71 (36-35) and is hosting for the eighth time. KNOW THY ENEMY These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. The third major championship of the season is underway on a very firm and fast Carnoustie. The fairways were Stimped at 9.5 feet while the greens were running 10.1 feet, so the pros had to adapt and adjust. As they day wore on the wind never picked up as severely as expected, but the best scores of the day were posted from the earlier tee times. World No. 2 Justin Thomas rewarded his investors with 69 (-2) late in the afternoon and will move them up the standings. PEOPLE’S CHOICE Dustin Johnson decided that he was going to bomb away in Round 1 and it resulted in only one birdie in a round of 76 (+5). His final four holes included a bogey and a dreaded triple at the last. It could have been worse but he made par on the first Par-5 hole after hitting his driver OB. Gamers will be pleased to see he leads the TOUR in second round scoring and he’ll need to find more than one birdie to find the weekend. LEAD ‘DAWG Kevin Kisner picked the right time to post his lowest round on TOUR (in relation to par) since April as his 66 (-5) is the best of the bunch after Round 1. Playing in his fourth Open, the former Georgia Bulldog had his best round of 11 as he circled four birdies and an eagle against only one bogey. The one club in the bag cooperating this season has been the putter as he checked in No. 17 in SG: putting before the week started. Kisner only needed 22 putts in Round 1, easily leading the field, with three fewer than Marc Leishman’s 25. MAJOR FACTOR AGAIN Tony Finau defied all odds in April after collecting T10 at the Masters after dislocating his ankle during the Par-3 Contest. With two properly working lower limbs, he returned to the forefront at Shinnecock Hills as his 66 on Saturday saw him land in the final group. His he finished fifth alone for his sixth top 10 of the year. The big hitter signed for 67 with four bogeys and currently shares second just one back. PROWLING Gamers will be happy to read Tiger Woods didn’t lose The Open in Round 1. His conservative game plan kept the big numbers off of his card and his hopes for a fourth title intact for at least one more round. His even-par 71 included a bogey-free 34 in the outward nine before three bogeys on the back nine as he came home in 37. He played both Par-5 holes even and that didn’t please him much. Neither did his rough night’s sleep as he played his round with MAGIC TAPE on his upper back and neck. He’s out in the rain tomorrow morning, so we’ll see what that brings! FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING Rickie Fowler is looking to claim his first major championship at Carnoustie and keep the tradition alive. The last three times the northern-most course in the Rota has hosted, Tom Watson (1975), Paul Lawrie (1999) and Padraig Harrington (2007) all picked up their first major. Fowler had a very solid day as he circled three and squared a pair and sits four shots off Kisner’s lead. BEWARE THE “INJUREDâ€� GOLFER It has been said that TOUR players don’t necessarily prefer when they have multiple options in playing a shot or attacking a certain hole. I believe fantasy gamers are in exactly the same boat. Henrik Stenson bailed on the Scottish Open last week to rest an ailing elbow, forcing gamers to make a decision this week. Those who stuck with him were rewarded with 70 (-1) and no signs of any problems Thursday. CAR-NASTY Johnson wasn’t the only big name bitten in the opening round. Sergio Garcia needed a birdie on the last to sign for 75 (+4). His three opening rounds at Carnoustie are 83, 67 and 75. Jordan Spieth was three-under through 14 holes and signed for 72 (+1) after a double on No. 15 and bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18. Marc Leishman was four-under through eight holes before playing his final 10 holes in five-over. He also signed for 72 and is T51 with those 25 putts. STUDY HALL Unsurprisingly, there were zero bogey-free rounds. Tony Finau led the field with eight birdies. Carnoustie member Englishman Matthew Southgate is looking to improve on his T12 (’16) and T6 (’17) finish from the last two Open Championships. His 69 (-2) rests him inside the top 10. There are three South Africans in the top five and none of them are named Oosthuizen, Schwartzel or Grace. The other Englishman in the top 10 is 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett (T8), not Poulter, Rose, Westwood, Fitzpatrick or Casey. The Barbasol Championship is being held for the first time at Keene Trace outside Lexington, Kentucky. Andres Romero is in front at the time of filing, as he opened with a 65 (-7). Newly un-retired John Peterson is two shots back and in the clubhouse with 67.

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