Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Jul 18, 2024 12:11 pm

Justin Thomas takes early lead at Open Championship

Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas birdied his final two holes to shoot a 3-under-par 68 and set the early pace at the 152nd Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Troon in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Thomas, a two-time major champion who’s struggled in recent seasons, rang up seven birdies to make up two bogeys and a double. A chip-in birdie at the second hole sent him on his way, and he was 4 under through 11 holes before losing his tee shot at the par-4 12th.

Settling for double bogey there and bogey at No. 13 didn’t take him out of the running amid the cool, rainy conditions on the Scottish seaside. Thomas birdied the par-3 17th from 8 feet to tie a group of co-leaders at 2 under, and he got a 25-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to fall to take the lead outright.

“I feel like everything has been turning the right way, and I’ve been working on the right things,” said Thomas, who’s winless since the 2022 PGA Championship. “Just like I said, I haven’t really had much to show for it. That’s just how this game works sometimes. But I know that I’m close the way it is, and I’m just going to keep playing and not play for results, just play for my game, and it’ll take care of itself.”

Alex Noren of Sweden, Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark, Justin Rose of England and Russell Henley posted 2-under 69s earlier in the day. Rose, 43, who had to go through final qualifying to make the field, was the only one to shoot a bogey-free round.

Adam Scott of Australia, Englishman Matt Wallace and Chris Kirk were in the clubhouse at 1-under 70.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland already is in danger of missing the cut after a disastrous stretch of holes. At the par-3 eighth hole nicknamed the Postage Stamp for its small green, McIlroy found the Coffin bunker off the tee. On his first attempt to punch out, the ball trickled back down the slope into the sand.

After taking double bogey there and bogey at No. 10, McIlroy drove out of bounds at the par-4 11th and incurred another double bogey. He was 6 over through 16 holes at 3 p.m. local time.

Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa had just teed off in the afternoon wave.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

davis thompson
Jul 5, 2025 4:24 pm

Davis Thompson emerges as leader at John Deere Classic

Davis Thompson shot a birdie putt from 10 1/2 feet on the final hole to shoot 4-under-par 67 and emerge as the leader among numerous third-round contenders in the John…

doug ghim
Jul 4, 2025 7:16 pm

Doug Ghim clings to one-shot lead at John Deere Classic

Doug Ghim shot a 3-under-par 68 and held onto a one-stroke lead over Max Homa and a group of contenders at the John Deere Classic on Friday in Silvis, Ill….

andrew putnam
Jul 4, 2025 11:08 am

Andrew Putnam (back) pulls out of John Deere Classic

Andrew Putnam withdrew from the John Deere Classic midway through Friday’s second round due to a back injury. Putnam, 36, started on the back nine and carded a double-bogey at…

More Golf News

davis thompson
Jul 5, 2025 4:24 pm

Davis Thompson emerges as leader at John Deere Classic

Davis Thompson shot a birdie putt from 10 1/2 feet on the final hole to shoot 4-under-par 67 and emerge as the leader among numerous third-round contenders in the John…

doug ghim
Jul 4, 2025 7:16 pm

Doug Ghim clings to one-shot lead at John Deere Classic

andrew putnam
Jul 4, 2025 11:08 am

Andrew Putnam (back) pulls out of John Deere Classic

doug ghim
Jul 3, 2025 5:44 pm

Doug Ghim leads John Deere as Rickie Fowler, Max Homa also go low

PGA Tour logo
Jul 2, 2025 7:34 pm

PGA Tour overhauls playoff bonus structure for this season

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
[gs-fb-comments]