The opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open is in the books, and there’s just one thing to say: it’s tough to beat coffee golf.
Byeong Hun An had himself a day at The Renaissance Club, posting a bogey-free 9-under 61 to take the outright 18-hole lead. Looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, An leads Davis Riley, who is alone in second, by two shots.
Riley is already a winner on Tour this season, teaming up with Nick Hardy to win the Zurich Classic in April. The University of Alabama product was able to keep the scorecard clean Thursday, signing for a 7-under 63. His round included a stretch of five straight birdies on Nos. 3-7. This is Riley’s first appearance at The Renaissance Club.
If you missed any of the action Thursday, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
Scottish Open: Leaderboard | Friday tee times | Photos
Byeong Hun An goes deep
It’s been a mixed bag for An over his last seven starts. Yes, he grabbed three top 25s, but he also missed three cuts. A tie for 51st in his latest start — John Deere Classic — certainly didn’t help predict what the South Korean did Thursday at The Renaissance Club.
An opening-round 9-under 61 begged the question: what golf course is An playing?
He made five birdies on his front nine — the course’s back side — including a stretch of four straight on Nos. 13-16. After making the turn with a 5-under 30, An added four more circles to his card to solidify his bogey-free effort.
“I couldn’t play any better,” he said after his round. “I drove it well and hit it well and chipped it well and putted well. That’s a clean scorecard. Overall, very relaxed out there.”
Rory McIlroy isn’t going anywhere
Earlier this week, McIlroy did not answer questions pertaining to Tuesday’s Senate subcommittee hearing regarding the PGA Tour-Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund framework agreement.
After his opening-round 6-under 64, the Northern Irishman was asked about LIV Golf’s proposal that would give Tiger Woods and McIlroy their own LIV franchises and would require the two players to participate in 10 LIV events.
He wasn’t having it.
“If LIV Golf was the last place on Earth to play golf, I would retire. That’s how I feel about it,” McIlroy said.
LIV’s proposal was quickly shot down during early negotiations.
Rickie’s doing it again
Aside from Scottie Scheffler — who hasn’t finished outside the top 12 since October — it’d be tough to find a golfer playing better over the last few months than Rickie Fowler. On top of a win in his last start at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Fowler finished inside the top 20 at the Travelers Championship, US Open, Memorial and Charles Schwab Challenge.
And after the first round at The Renaissance Club, Fowler is back inside the top 20 thanks to a 3-under 67. It could have been one shot better, but the former Oklahoma State star bogeyed his final hole, his lone blemish on Thursday.
Fowler, who recently bought his childhood driving range, finished tied for 47th at this event last season.
He’ll tee off alongside 2023 US Open champ Wyndham Clark and Tyrrell Hatton at 3:10 am ET Friday morning.
Checking in with the notables
Here’s where the biggest names in the field stand after the first 18 holes.
|
Position |
Player |
First-round score |
|
T-3 |
Rory McIlroy |
6 under |
|
T-7 |
Max Homo |
4 under |
|
T-7 |
Tom Kim |
4 under |
|
T-15 |
Sam Burns |
3 under |
|
T-15 |
Rickie Fowler |
3 under |
|
T-26 |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
2 under |
|
T-26 |
Justin Thomas |
2 under |
|
T-26 |
Scottie Scheffler |
2 under |
|
T-74 |
Xander Schauffele |
Even |
|
T-74 |
Tommy Fleetwood |
Even |
|
T-123 |
Patrick Cantlay |
2 overs |
|
T-123 |
Jordan Spieth |
2 overs |
|
T-137 |
Viktor Hovland |
3 overs |
Friday’s weather forecast
According to Windy.com, rain is in the forecast for most of the day. Winds are expected to reach 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph possible. The temperature will hover around 60 degrees.
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek