Rónán MacNamara in Royal Troon
Despite a good start, Tom McKibbin endured a tough finish on day one of his Open Championship debut and he faces a battle to make it two major cuts from two at Royal Troon.
Bogeys on 11, 12 and 16 saw McKibbin sign for a two-over 73 on a windy morning in South Ayrshire that was hit by some nasty rain showers.
Overall, the 21-year-old was possibly slightly hard on himself after his round but it’s a testament to the high expectations he carries despite his relative inexperience at this level. Out in the third group of the morning his score may improve if the dreary conditions continue.
“I didn’t play great at all really especially the back nine, it’s obviously the harder nine but yeah a few loose shots,” lamented McKibbin.
“My nerves weren’t too bad it didn’t bother me too much the first tee is down off the right so four iron but then I got on the tee and realised I would have to hit 2-iron! so that made me a little more nervous but overall it was fine.”
The wind that greeted the players was not the usual prevailing gusts with the front nine now playing into the breeze and the already difficult back nine playing down wind.
“It was different from the practice rounds all down off the right on the front nine and in off the left on the back so today it was in off the right and down off the left so a lot of different clubs off tees and guessing the release on the greens was very hard especially down the bounces were 15, 20 yards really.
“Eleven is playing the easiest you will get it but then 12 is much more difficult, long hole very tight just got to hang on coming in with the par-3s overall the course is playing pretty tricky.
“It was decent this morning still quite windy and coming in the rain started to come in,” added the Holywood man.
McKibbin made the turn under par courtesy of a birdie on the famous Postage Stamp par-3 8th where he hit a 54 degree wedge.
After dropped shots on 11 and 12 McKibbin drove through the burn that cuts through the par-5 16th fairway but his gamble did not pay off. Hacking out from long rough on the left his ball ran up against the face of a fairway bunker and he could only pop out sideways.
He ultimately took a six but did well after to close with two stress free pars.
“Normally I would lay up but it was downwind and Dave told me it was worth it so I trusted him and went for it and it did not pay off. I was not in a great spot.”
The positives for McKibbin who played alongside one of the kings of scrambling, Alex Noren, was his own ability to save par and keep his round together on a day where he said his score could have been “much worse.”
“I scrambled quite nicely for the first six and seven holes I wouldn’t say I had my best with a few loose shots, saved par quite nicely and held a few nice ones. My pace putting was very good so that was pleasing.”
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