Daniel Hillier leads Australasians into day two at Royal Portrush
Daniel Hillier’s round of even par 71 heads the Australasians – image Stuart Kerr R&A via Getty
With play on day one of the 153rd Open Championship drawing to a close, the fact that 33 players have finished under par over a testing golf course and under typically demanding links golf weather bears testament to Royal Portrush being well set up to examine the skills of the world’s best fairly.
4 under par 67, held by five golfers, leads the way, but 29 players are within two of that lead, and with 72 players within five, then anyone within those parameters and perhaps beyond has done enough to feel that they are still very much a chance to contend over the weekend.
Norway’s Jacob Skov Olesen, China’s Haotong Li, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and American Harris English all begin round two with a share of the lead, Olesen’s bogey at the last hole of his morning round eventually costing him the honour of leading the event into tomorrow’s second round.
The eleven-strong Australasian contingent is currently headed by New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, at even par 71. The 26-year-old Wellingtonian is playing his fifth Open Championship, where his best finish was 31st last year.
Hillier bogeyed the first and third holes but birdied the second, the highlight of his round coming at the par 5 12th hole, where after a 225-yard approach he holed a 16-footer to move 1 under for the day before he bogeyed the 14th to eventually finish at even par and in a share of 32nd place.
Cam Smith and Adam Scott are both at 1 over 72, Smith’s outward nine of 39 rescued by an impressive inward nine of 33 where he birdied twice, no doubt leaving him boosted by the recovery. Smith played in one of the first few groups out on day one and will therefore be faced with an afternoon tee time on day two, which might or might not work in his favour.
“It was pretty good, said Smith. “Pretty solid, particularly that back nine. Could have really got away from me, I think. Hung in there nice and just committed to some swings, what I’ve been doing the last few times out. Gave myself a little bit of a talking to through nine and played that last nine really solidly.
“Definitely a bit of a confidence boost today on the back nine for sure. When stuff’s not going through our way sometimes, like I said, it can get really away from me. I did a really good job of hanging in there, a bit of Queensland spirit but it was really good. Looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a tough test. You need to hit every shot perfect. A bit of luck of the Irish out there too wouldn’t hurt.”
Scott was out late on day one but has the advantage of a 7.08 tee time on day two to make his move. A bogey at the last was disappointing after fighting his way back from 2 over through 11 holes, but it was nonetheless a solid start.
“I mean, kind of. It could have gotten away, said Scott. “I don’t know; it felt like we teed off in the rain and played the whole lot in the rain. It was tricky at times. But my golf was okay. Shame about the last.”
Scott bounced back from two consecutive bogeys on 10 and 11 to keep his hopes of a good week alive.
“It is handy having birdies. I’d like to have some more stretches like that. It’s always an equation at the majors of how much do you press, how much you’re going to go and try and hit it close. It’s really hard here at a links when the wind is blowing and you’ve got to hang it way up the other side of the course and try and have it come back. Sometimes you can’t get it close. So, how aggressively you play is always the thing, and when you go for it and pull off a few, birdies go a long way.
“I’m not out of it, but I’m going to have to have a good morning tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather cooperates.”
Jason Day and Marc Leishman are at 2 over 73, Day also improving after an outward nine of 39 in his early morning round.
Leishman was 3 over through 12 holes but steadied the ship over the closing stretch.
Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee recorded rounds of 74, Ryan Fox and Elvis Smylie 75, New Zealand Open winner, Ryan Peake, who played with Phil Mickelson, had 77, and Curtis Luck 80.
Weather dependant, the cut appears as if it will fall around 3 over par tomorrow evening.
