Jordan Spieth prepared for mind games, Justin Rose said he willl lean on tips gleaned from Roger Federer, Rory McIlroy says he’s a good bet and Henrik Stenson is anxious about skydiving with the Claret Jug. Spieth is the sole leader at a major for the first time since the third round of the Masters previous year, when he was runner-up to Danny Willett.
Spieth, though, defied a torrential downpour – which led to ground staff needing nearly half an hour to sponge the rain-soaked greens – to assume control with his eagle on the par-5 15th.
That gave Spieth a three-shot lead over Matt Kuchar, who did his best to keep pace and shot 66.
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Richie Ramsay of Scotland is in the clubhouse on two under par. He won the Masters and U.S. Open two years ago, and then finished one shot out of a playoff at St. Andrews.
“And it’s nearly impossible to win in that circumstance”.
The danger might not be Kuchar, who grins like he’s had a facelift, but Spieth who already has a reputation for staring down his opponents.
Victory Sunday would place Spieth alongside Jack Nicklaus as the only men to win three majors by the age of 24 – he turns 24 Thursday.
“It happened so quick”, Manley said, seemingly still in a daze. “I essentially missed two greens today in some 15mph winds”. I haven’t played a major for a little while. “I just thought, post a decent score, give myself tomorrow for making the cut and have a good weekend”. There are a few tricks here and there that you can apply to golf. “Was real happy with my performance last week at the Scottish Open”. His uncanny ability to grind through a round that might have gone sideways could prove huge at Royal Birkdale.
Last year’s champion Stenson fired an equally impressive 65 to sit alongside Johnson.
“I’ve had a five-shot lead in a major and squandered it before so I’ve had the height and the humbling”, said Spieth. I’m going to love to grab that thing with two hands, if I can.
The 39-year-old Kuchar, who is regarded as one of the best current players not to have won a major, has had eight top-10 finishes in majors and was fourth in the Masters in April.
As the conditions got tougher, Spieth got stronger. Everybody can compete short and long hitters.
Mark O’Meara has played his last Open Championship, …
Manley, who once considered playing soccer professionally before deciding on a career in golf, has bounced between the European Tour and minor tours and came into the Open ranked No. 520 in the world. “I played really solid”.
“So much imagination that goes into it”. “The course played completely differently”. You’ve really got to be creative. Just like that, he was three shots behind. So don’t let the Day 1 scores fool you, it’s going to get ugly quick and the next three days are going to be extremely trying. “Over here you can run it up, you can fly it there, too, if you want”.
Australian Peter Thomson won his first Open title at Birkdale in 1954 and his fifth and final back here in 1965.
A greenkeeper mows the light rough round the edge of the 6th green during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England Wednesday, July 19, 2017.
“It tests all aspects of your game”. He knows what to say out there and what not to say.
His name was on the claret jug by the end of the week.