Harris English Among A Fascinating Group Of Leaders After Open’s Longest Day

There are eclectic tales astatine nan acme of this Open leaderboard. It conscionable appeared arsenic if cipher was minded to salary heed to them connected a time erstwhile Rory McIlroy’s competitory return to Northern Ireland turned each caput and Scottie Scheffler performed his accustomed instrumentality of hiding successful plain sight.

McIlroy seemed to conflict his crippled much than nan elements for overmuch of information 1 but emerged unscathed and nether par. McIlroy lacks thing successful tenacity, a matter which is often overlooked. His 70 leaves him conscionable 3 from nan lead successful what is simply a wonderfully congested major.

The problem for each progressive whitethorn good beryllium that Scheffler is already only 1 adrift aft a information wherever he classed 150th successful driving accuracy. “When it’s raining sideways, it’s actually, judge it aliases not, not that easy to get nan shot successful nan fairway,” said Scheffler, needing only a saucer of milk. If Scheffler has yet cracked nan Open code, it feels for illustration a mobility of who will beryllium second.

Harris English arrived without his caddie, Eric Larson being denied recreation from nan US because of a supplier condemnation from 3 decades ago. English wandered into a bustling Portrush barroom connected Wednesday evening without truthful overmuch arsenic caput turns from locals. Harris is 54 holes from becoming nan first English man to triumph nan Open since 1992.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout swallowed rat poison arsenic a two-year-old, an arena which proved important during nan Amateur Championship astatine Royal Portrush successful 2014. Bezuidenhout was utilizing beta blockers to thief pinch a stammer related to nan puerility incident, triggering a grounded doping trial and a prohibition which was later reduced from 2 years to 9 months.

Sadom Kaewkanjana is seeking to go nan first ordained monk to assistance nan Claret Jug. Kaewkanjana’s script led to a rather awesome post-round media moment, arsenic nan Thai was asked whether he whitethorn see dedicating himself to Buddhism astatine a later date. “My extremity is to play successful nan Masters,” came nan reply. Shove your meditation, springiness maine Magnolia Lane.

This was golf’s longest day. Rounds stretched to six hours, a preposterous if unavoidable business pinch a 156-man section and penal rough. McIlroy’s group took 4 hours to play 11 holes. Keegan Bradley, nan US Ryder Cup captain, recounted 5 groups playing aliases waiting to play nan 7th astatine nan aforesaid time. “It felt for illustration we were connected nan play people for astir 12 hours,” said Marc Leishman. “We had been connected nan people for 3 hours done 8 holes.” Grim.

As acheronian fell, 5 players topped nan battalion astatine 4 under. English and Bezuidenhout were joined by a resurgent Matt Fitzpatrick, Li Haotong and Jacob Skov Olesen. Denmark’s Olesen won arsenic an amateur connected nan links of Ballyliffin. He played nan backmost 9 connected Thursday successful an outstanding 32. Kaewkanjana, Scheffler, Matthew Jordan and Tyrrell Hatton are 1 back. Hatton’s beardown showing successful past month’s US Open has intelligibly fuelled confidence. During specified an attritional test, nan occasionally combustible Englishman kept his head.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout shares nan lead and will beryllium hoping to banish bad memories of nan 2014 Amateur Championship. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

The greeting starters endured squally, sadistic conditions astatine times. A predicted day large wind bypassed this area of nan Causeway Coast. When McIlroy took to nan opening tee, soon aft 3pm, nan image was 1 of serenity. It was truthful astonishing that nan 4 nether par posted by Olesen, Li and Fitzpatrick – later matched by Bezuidenhout – was not headed until English made a birdie connected nan 12th. English promptly handed a changeable backmost to nan people connected 14. Menacing pin positions played a cardinal domiciled successful keeping scoring higher than would different person been nan case.

Jon Rahm is 1 under. Shane Lowry, nan Portrush champion successful 2019, was beaming aft his ain 70. Lee Westwood, an avid Portrush fan, rolled backmost nan years and rolled successful nan putts erstwhile reaching minus 4 wrong 12 holes. Westwood played his closing agelong successful positive 2 but was still rightly contented pinch his 69. Rickie Fowler matched that people arsenic did Nicolai Højgaard, who only qualified for nan Open connected Sunday. The fields of Aaron Rai? The Wolverhampton man joined nan 69 nine having been 4 nether by nan 9th tee. Justin Rose delivered 2 nether soon earlier 9pm. English closed retired his information half an hr later.

There were moments of chaos. Tommy Fleetwood’s shot vanished successful ft marks successful a bunker connected nan 5th, calling into mobility nan Royal & Ancient’s caller argumentation of having caddies cleanable up aft their players. Previous Opens had dedicated bunker rakers. Bryson DeChambeau whiffed a changeable erstwhile knee precocious successful unsmooth astatine nan 4th. One for nan Californian’s YouTube channel, surely. DeChambeau’s time astatine nan agency added up to 78 blows and his worst opening information astatine a major.

Wyndham Clark slumped to a 76 nan time aft it was confirmed he has been banned from Oakmont Country Club for physically abusing lockers. The R&A mightiness request to bid immoderate reinforced wood. Other notables to struggle included Patrick Reed, who changeable 77, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa. The second brace signed for 75s. This was nan juncture of nan underdog and a lurking Scheffler.