Tom McKibbin and Nicolai Hojgaard take early lead at the Open

Irish Examiner

4 days ago

Irish golfer Tom McKibbin and Ryder Cup winner Nicolai Hojgaard led from the front on the first day of The Open on a testing morning for scoring at Royal Portrush.
The highlight for the 22-year-old McKibbin, who learned his craft at Rory McIlroy's Holywood Golf Club an hour down the road, was an eagle at the par-five seventh after teeing off in the first group at 6.35am.
He had slipped to two over after four but two birdies and the eagle took him to the turn in a two-under 34.
Dane Hojgaard, in the same group, birdied the two par fives at the second and seventh to also be two under with him and McKibbin two of only eight players under par of the 39 out on the course.
Ryder Cup winner Nicolai Hojgaard held an early share of the lead at The Open (Brian Lawless/PA)
Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington, who had been given the honour of getting the championship underway, birdied the first hole, but otherwise struggled on the greens and was two over at the turn.
McKibbin was one of a number of LIV golfers performing well.
Six-time major winner and 2013 Open champion Phil Mickelson was providing the early entertainment, holing a bunker shot for par at the short third having left his first attempt in the sand to sit one under after six holes.
Lee Westwood, back at the Open for the first time since 2022 after coming through qualifying, birdied his second hole to join the left-hander in an early tie for third.
Another of his LIV cohorts Dustin Johnson, the two-time major champion who has slipped to 969 in the world following his move to the Saudi breakaway, was level par through four holes.
Canadian Taylor Pendrith was the first to find out of bounds down the left on the intimidating first hole.
That was a fate which befell McIlroy six years ago when the tournament returned to the Dunluce Links but the Northern Irishman had to wait for his shot at redemption as he was not due to tee off until 3.10pm.
Out with Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and American rival Justin Thomas, he was facing a greater chance of rain, some of it heavy, with winds gusting up to 20mph.