Rónán MacNamara in Portrush
It’s another big day in the exciting young career of Tom McKibbin out of the way and he showed huge signs of his precocious talent and demonstrated his ability to handle the big occasion on the opening day of the 153rd Open Championship.
Playing in just his second Open and fourth major in all, McKibbin teed it up alongside Pádraig Harrington who got the championship underway at 06:35. But this was also a big deal for the 22-year-old, competing for the Claret Jug on home soil for the first time and he brought along plenty of local support to pack the first tee grandstand.
Unlike his Holywood club mate Rory McIlroy, there were no first tee horrors for McKibbin who overcame some early nerves to put on a dazzling mid round display in front of a packed morning gallery which was another new experience in itself, being the main attraction at a major.
“I think Rory’s made that tee shot a lot scarier,” laughed McKibbin when asked about any first tee nerves. “That’s all I could probably think about for the last three days. I wouldn’t say I was too nervous. I just didn’t really want to hit that bad of a shot. Yeah, I was very happy to get it sort of under way. Yeah, a little bit nervous and a little bit scared of hitting that shot.
“It was pretty cool to get out there first, sort of get those sort of nerves or a little bit of unsettlement out of the way early. Then to go out with two great players as well was very good.
“It’s amazing getting sort of clapped on every tee and green. It was pretty cool today, sort of the first experience of that kind. They’re out there wanting you to do the best that you can, and it’s sort of great to have that support.”
After an iffy start of two bogeys in his first three holes, McKibbin played a classy bunker shot from right of the drivable 5th to set up and opening birdie.
He didn’t take long to click into gear and soon stole the limelight from Harrington, cracking a 370-yard drive down the heart of the par-5 7th which ultimately set up a highlight eagle.
A steady par on 8 was followed by a heroic birdie on the 9th when the Northern Irishman fizzed a shot from the rough to 9-feet for a birdie as he briefly shared the lead on two-under.
Things took a turn for McKibbin when he took two bites at the cherry to escape from some bushes on 11 but he rallied well from that double bogey with a birdie on 12 to get back to red figures.
Dropped shots came at 13 and 18, finding the fairway bunker on the last, as he scribbled his signature on a scorecard that reflected an up and down round of 72 (+1).
With a deluge of rain greeting the late morning and early afternoon starters, he is just five shots off the pace which would be no disaster come days end.
“A little bit of everything in there, a little bit of a good, a little bit of bad,” added McKibbin who awoke to a 3:30 alarm call on Thursday morning.
“Obviously I was 2-over after three. I don’t really feel like I hit too bad of a shot to sort of be in that position. I just missed the fairway on 1 and didn’t have a good lie at all. I hit a good shot into 3 and came up a little bit short. Then I hit it down the middle of the fairway on 4 and it was in a divot. It was just not going my way. Hit a good bunker shot on 5 and made a birdie there, sort of 1-over after 5 isn’t too bad.
“Then started to play quite nicely after that. I only sort of struggled on the holes with the wind off the left. Besides that, it was okay.”
Twelve months ago, McKibbin opened with a 73 at Troon and was very disappointed with his efforts. But, one year on and after spending this season rubbing shoulders with a collection of major champions on the LIV tour, he knows that the biggest events are marathons not sprints, so he won’t be going all out attack to get back into this just yet.
“You always want to play four days at these tournaments. I think it’s just important to try and not make big numbers. I think you can certainly hit a few errant tee shots and shots out there, but it’s all about trying to sort of get yourself back in position, trying not to be too greedy and sort of go for something that you could ultimately make a 6 or a 7 very easily.
“When you do go out of position, just try and be patient as you said and stick in there.”
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