The Open Championship: McIlroy salvages first round with some bunker magic, as Hong Kong’s Kho endures tough day
- McIlroy battles way around Royal Liverpool Golf Club to even par 71 on opening day
- Taichi Kho struggles in his Open debut, with a quintuple bogey on 18 the worst of a difficult round
Rory McIlroy needs no reminding of the pitfalls that have prevented him claiming a long-awaited fifth major and his opening round at the 151st Open on Thursday could easily have left his hopes on the rocks once again.
The Northern Irishman, the pre-tournament favourite, received loud support from the packed galleries at Royal Liverpool, scene of his Open triumph in 2014 after which he won the US PGA title and looked set for domination.
But he endured a frustrating day with his driver a little off and putts refusing to drop and at the 18th he faced a crisis when he left a bunker escape in the sand before playing a remarkable second attempt from a horrible stance.
That piece of magic enabled the 34-year-old to escape with a par five and post an even par 71 to sit five shots off the lead – a gap he will hope to reduce on Friday.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood and South African amateur Christo Lamprecht and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo set the pace at the top, all carding five-under 66s.
Lamprecht became the first amateur in 12 years to share the 18-hole lead at the Open, while Fleetwood is bidding to become the first English winner of the Championship in England since Tony Jacklin in 1969.
