Big Four fail to make impression at British Open

Saturday, 16 July 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: The much-heralded ‘Big Four’ of golf failed to make an impression in the first round of the British Open on Thursday.

Young guns Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were unable to find their ‘A games’ and were eclipsed by ‘golden oldie’ Phil Mickelson who powered to the top of the Royal Troon leaderboard with an eight-under 63.

None of the ‘Big Four’ scored as well as little-known Belgian Thomas Pieters who is appearing in his first major championship and carded a 68.

Only one of the elite quartet matched the 69 of triple major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji who is 53.

McIlroy, 27, equalled Singh’s score. The Northern Irishman appeared briefly on the leaderboard when he got to four-under after four birdies and five pars on the front nine.

But a double-bogey on 13 and a bogey on 14 ended his run. A lone birdie on 15 was the only bright spot on his back nine.

“If I would’ve stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69 I probably would have taken it but if somebody had given me that score on the 10th I probably wouldn’t have,” McIlroy told reporters after a calm day on the Ayrshire coast.

“I knew today was a day where you had to make the most of the conditions because I don’t think we’re going to see the course like this for the rest of the week.”

Johnson and Spieth went round in 71 – eight shots behind the 46-year-old Mickelson – and the same score as former U.S. Masters and British Open champion Mark O’Meara, 59.

Day toiled his way to a two-over 73. The high points of his round came early, when he birdied three and six, but they lost their lustre as he accumulated bogeys on five, eight, nine and 18.

That was the same number of birdies and bogeys compiled by Mark Calcavecchia, another former British Open champion who is 56.

“The next three days are going to be pretty difficult,” said world number one Day. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. Hopefully ... I can just slowly inch my way back into the tournament.”