Jason Day stands as the sole beacon of hope for Australian men’s golf at The Open after a tumultuous day at Royal Troon saw the rest of the Australian contingent struggle.
The challenging conditions, marked by fierce winds, proved too much for many, including top-40 players Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott, and 2022 champion Cameron Smith.
Day, however, thrived in the morning’s slightly calmer conditions, securing a three-under-par round of 68. This impressive performance propelled him into a tie for seventh place, at one under par, six strokes behind the leader, Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
Day is only four strokes behind the English duo of Dan Brown and former US Open champion Justin Rose, and one stroke behind world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, Billy Horschel, and Dean Burmester.
Reflecting on his performance, Day acknowledged the favorable conditions of his early tee time.”We got lucky with the draw, I feel,” he said, noting that the wind picked up significantly in the afternoon.
In contrast, Cameron Smith experienced a dismal tournament, finishing with a 74 after his worst-ever major score of 80 in the first round. His overall score of 12 over par left him 19 shots behind the leader.
Adam Scott also struggled, suffering a double bogey at the notorious ‘Postage Stamp’ eighth hole, ultimately finishing at five over par.
Despite the challenging day for his fellow Australians, Day remains optimistic about his chances. He aims to maintain his steady play over the weekend, hoping to improve on his runner-up finish from last year and add another major title to his 2015 PGA Championship win. “You just kind of try and be as steady as I was today,” Day remarked, expressing his focus on consistency for the upcoming rounds.
Amateur Jasper Stubbs posted a commendable 72, finishing at 10 over par, while Elvis Smylie concluded his major debut with a 75, ending at nine over par. With Day leading the Australian charge, hopes remain high for a strong finish at The Open.
