American Cameron Young Leads The Open Championship, Tiger Falters

The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland — July 14, 2022

The 150th Open Championship teed off this morning on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Tiger Woods was there, as was defending champion Collin Morikawa, and so were a number of players who have defected to the LIV tour.

Things got off to a roaring start when Britain’s Ian Poulter came to the first tee at 7:08 am local time and was roundly booed. Presumably, for his decision to join the breakaway golf tour financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.

Boos on the 1st tee at #TheOpen for Ian Poulter. @4golfonline – “ I wonder what he’s done wrong’? pic.twitter.com/1NYYiE0r59

— Matt Bellner (@MattBellner) July 14, 2022

Poulter hooked his opening drive across the adjacent 18th fairway, almost traveling out of bounds. He recovered to make par, birdied the sixth, and eagled the ninth hole to make the turn as the early leader at three-under-par. Poulter could not improve his score on the back nine as he mixed two bogeys with two birdies to post a 69 on day one.

An American Leads

Cameron Young, the 25-year-old American playing his first year on the PGA Tour, shot an eight-under-par 64 to take the lead at the end of the first round of play in his first Open Championship appearance. His bogey-free round moved him two shots clear of his closest follower.

Young missed the cut at the Master, the year’s first major championship. He tied for third at the PGA, and again missed the cut in the U.S. Open. If he can weather the storms of St. Andrews, both the emotional and physical winds that blow tournament week, it will be an amazing victory for a relative unknown who has quietly worked his way to the 32nd position in Golf’s World Rankings.

Chasing the Top Spot

Crowd favorite Rory McIlroy sits alone in second at six-under. A bogey on the 465-yard, par four, 13th hole was the only miscue on a sterling round of 66.

Cameron Smith and Robert Dinwiddie tied for third at five under par. While a group of eight golfers carded a score of 68 to tie for fifth. Including Lee Westwood, Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson, and Scottie Scheffler.

Filling out other spots on the leaderboard within five strokes of Young were 12 players who joined Poulter at three-under par. Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele were in the crowd tied for 13th.

Tiger and Other Notables

Jordan Spieth sits at one under, Phil Mickelson and Morikawa are in a large group at even par.

Tiger Woods made a double bogey on the first and seventh holes. A birdie on the ninth left him at five-over-par through nine. He then mixed in two more birdies and three bogeys on the final nine to finish with a six-over-par score of 78. The three-time Open Championship winner will undoubtedly leave the course, where he posted two of those victories, failing to make the cut.

The Leaderboard After Day One at the Open Championship