SANDWICH, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Former champions Louis Oosthuizen and Jordan Spieth sparkled in the morning sunshine to set the pace in the first round of the 149th British Open at Royal St George's on Thursday (July 15). South African Oosthuizen, the winner in 2010, made six birdies in a flawless 64 to finish on six under par, one shot ahead of American Spieth, champion in 2017. Brian Harman matched compatriot Spieth with a 65 to share second place, one clear of Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, South African Dylan Frittelli, Frenchman Benjamin Hebert and Americans Webb Simpson and Stewart Cink, another former champion. The 2020 tournament was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic but up to 32,000 fans are allowed in each day this year as part of a government test event and warm applause rippled around the links course. "The fans are fantastic here," Spieth told reporters. "They're just the best in golf. Very knowledgeable. It was really great to have them back and have what feels like normalcy when we teed off on the first hole." "I've really loved this tournament and so last year missing being able to play it was certainly something that I didn't want to do," added the 27-year-old Spieth, who made four consecutive birdies from the fifth hole and sank a 12-foot putt on the 16th green to confirm his return to form after he finished 2020 ranked 82nd in the world. Oosthuizen, 38, struck his irons beautifully to pick up three birdies around the turn and added three more on the closing holes to make a strong start to his bid for a second major title. "Probably in my mind it was the perfect round I could have played," he told reporters. "I didn't make many mistakes. When I had good opportunities for birdie, I made the putts. So, yeah, just a very good solid round." England's Justin Rose, Danny Willett, Andy Sullivan and Jack Senior carded 67s along with South African Justin Harding, German Marcel Siem, Americans Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler, and South Korean An Byeong-Hun. Tough day It was a tough day for 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau who battled to a roller-coaster round of 71. The long-hitting American visited the treacherous rough on several occasions and made three bogeys on the front nine to drop back to one over. DeChambeau appeared to have worked out the undulating fairways when he collected three consecutive birdies from the 12th but two more dropped shots left him well off the pace. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Driving well the key for Johnson's British Open bid Related Story Golf: British Open players face disqualification for coronavirus bubble breaches World number one Dustin Johnson started with a solid 68 and defending champion Shane Lowry of Ireland carded 71 playing with Oosthuizen and Spanish US Open champion Jon Rahm, whose 71 was spoiled by a double-bogey at the ninth. Four-times major champion Rory McIlroy ground out a level-par 70, mixing four birdies and four bogeys as the wind picked up late in the day, but the Northern Irishman's problems paled beside those of Phil Mickelson. The 51-year-old American, who won this year's PGA Championship to become the oldest major champion, racked up eight bogeys and a double-bogey at the last in an ugly 80.
LA JOLLA, UNITED STATES (AFP) - Jordan Spieth battles a right heel injury as he prepares for a punishing US Open layout at Torrey Pines, where he began seeing major improvements in his game in January. The three-time major winner has had eight top-10 US PGA tour finishes since missing the cut in a tour event at the oceanside layout five months ago, and snapped a four-year win drought by taking the Texas Open in April. "Overall, everything has been quite a bit better," Spieth said on Tuesday (June 15). "I've just been sticking to the game plan. "Just started to really get a good grasp on what things are supposed to feel like through impact, what I did that was such an advantage for a long time and where I'd gotten off." The 24th-ranked American, who tees off on Thursday afternoon alongside fellow Texans Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris, hopes he will be over a heel setback suffered last week. "I was carrying my clubs and I jammed my heel leaving the course," Spieth said. "So it has been hurting, but it's nothing that I'm going to do more damage to or anything like that, so I'm fine." Spieth will feel it was he walks along the hilly 7,282-yard course. "I'm having a hard time pushing off on some of the drives," Spieth admitted. "But yesterday was better than the day before, which was better than the day before. So I assume just continue treatment and rest, and it should be fine." Spieth's fightback to form has seen him share third at the Masters in April and take second at Colonial last month. "Just kind of progress I've made in the tee to green range. Then putting and chipping has been pretty solid," Spieth said. "A little bit streaky, but I feel like I've been moving the right direction with the flatstick." The success after years of struggles for the 2015 US Open and Masters winner and 2017 British Open champion has made a remarkable change in attitude from last year's US Open at Winged Foot. "Winged Foot was, 'Oh boy, here we go,' and this week is I'm in a position where I think I can stand on the 10th tee on Thursday and win this golf tournament," Spieth said. "As much as you want to say that you can fake it till you make it, I needed that confidence between then and now to really think that standing on the tee." Tee off with patience While more confident off the tee, Spieth admitted he might need to reshape his game plan during the week to stay confident on a US Open layout with dense rough, firm fairways and lightning-fast greens. "In a US Open when you're really struggling off the tee, it's just not going to go well," he said. "If I'm in a bad lie, you just can't force things on a course like this. If you have to punch out and hit a wedge close to make par, then do it. "Being in a better place allows me to feel like I'm going to tee off with a little more patience. If I do make a couple bogeys, it's fine, because I feel like I'm going to make some birdies, versus, oh no, the wheels are coming off." More on this topic Related Story Golf: No Koepka-DeChambeau pairing in early rounds of US Open Related Story Golf: Rahm confident for US Open despite Covid-19 quarantine
HOUSTON (REUTERS) - Michael Thompson birdied his final hole to earn a share of the early first-round clubhouse lead at the Houston Open on Thursday (Nov 5) while Jordan Spieth squandered a good start with a back-nine collapse in the last tournament before next week's Masters. Thompson mixed six birdies with three bogeys for a three-under-par 67 at Memorial Park Golf Course to sit level with Australian Cameron Davis, and Scottie Scheffler, Harold Varner III and Carlos Ortiz. "I play my best golf when I have no expectations," said Thompson, who has struggled since he won his second PGA Tour title in July. "It was probably a really good thing for me to play poorly over the last few months because it kind of gets me back to trying to be the best Michael Thompson I can possibly be." Sitting one shot behind the clubhouse co-leaders were Americans Adam Long and Kevin Streelman. Defending champion Lanto Griffin, playing in a group with Spieth and four-times major winner Brooks Koepka (72), was one under through 13 holes but bogeyed three of his final five holes for an opening two-over 72. Former world number one Spieth, seeking his first win since the 2017 British Open, held a share of the lead through 12 holes before making two bogeys and two double-bogeys en route to a three-over 73. "Well, 15, 16, 17 are where you can make some birdies, but you can also get into some trouble," said Spieth. "So some risk-reward when you're attacking stuff or whether you are or not on those few holes." World number one Dustin Johnson, No. 11 Tyrell Hatton and five-times major champion Phil Mickelson were among the late starters.