Shane Lowry cruised to a bogey-free five-under-par round of 66 as blustery winds caused havoc in the first round of the The Open on Thursday.
The 2019 Open champion looked in total control despite the conditions but world No 2 Rory McIlroy and recently crowned US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau struggled badly in the blustery winds that made life difficult for most of the field.
Four-time major winner McIlroy, whose final-round collapse at Pinehurst handed DeChambeau his second US Open title last month, carded a seven-over-par 78, while the American finished at five over after a round of 76.
Fifteen-time major winner Tiger Woods had an even tougher day, shooting an eight-over par round of 79, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler finished at one under par.
McIlroy, seeking his second Open title, finished the day 11 shots behind Lowry and 10 back from two-time USPGA winner Justin Thomas.
American Thomas rolled in a 25-foot putt on the 18th to close at three under.
At two under were Sweden's Alex Noren, England's Justin Rose, Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard and Americans Xander Schauffele and Russell Henley.
Afterwards, Lowry said: "It was enjoyable. I got off to a bit of an iffy start and I holed a couple of nice par putts early on and then I got off and running and, yeah, I played some lovely golf. Very happy with it."
McIlroy is already in danger of missing the cut after a nightmare run of holes. At the par-three eighth, nicknamed the Postage Stamp for its small green, he found the Coffin bunker off the tee. On his first attempt to play out, the ball trickled back down the slope into the sand.
After taking double bogey there and bogey at the 10th, McIlroy drove out of bounds at the par-four 11th and incurred another double bogey.
Afterwards, McIlroy said: “The course was playing tough. Conditions were very difficult in a wind that we have not seen so far this week.
“When that happens it presents different options and I didn’t adapt well enough to the conditions.”
He added that his approach on Friday would simply be “to focus on trying to make the cut”.
DeChambeau said: “It's a completely different test and something I'm not familiar with. I didn't get any practice in and I didn't really play much in the rain. I never grew up playing it – I can do it when it's warm and not windy.
“I'm proud of the way I persevered today. I could have thrown in the towel after nine but no, I've got a chance tomorrow. I'm excited for the challenge. If I have some putts go in and hit some shots the way I know how to and figure out this equipment stuff, I'll be good.”
Rose, who came through qualifying to book his place at the tournament, closed with 11 consecutive pars to sit just behind Thomas.
Thomas said: “I feel like everything has been turning the right way, and I've been working on the right things.
“Just like I said, I haven't really had much to show for it. That's just how this game works sometimes. But I know that I'm close the way it is, and I'm just going to keep playing and not play for results, just play for my game, and it'll take care of itself.”
Rose, who burst on to the scene as an amateur at The Open in 1998 and who won the US Open in 2013, said he was confident he could challenge this week.
“I've been around long enough to know that I can [win],” he said. “I know how I'm feeling in the moment and I've been pretty good in my career at sort of winning the special ones.
“That's kind of what I've been really working hard for the last two to three years is to have the opportunity late in my career to have a couple of special amazing opportunities. That's what's keeping me going.”
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
MATCH INFO
Everton 0
Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
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Founder: Areej Selmi
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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
