Rory McIlroy misery as world No 272 Daniel Brown forges unlikely lead

For the majority of this first day of the 152nd Open Championship, it felt impossible to rationalise what had come before. The scale of fireworks on the final day of the Open at Royal Troon in 2016 left every onlooker grasping and gasping for superlatives. Henrik Stenson versus Phil Mickelson felt like golf’s equivalent of the rumble in the jungle.

Back in dreich Ayrshire – amid an infrequent wind and occasional squall – carnage ensued. The undeniable clubhouse leader after round one is the venue itself. It is for others to assess the entertainment value attached to that. Troon terrorised.

Tiger Woods’s latest humbling came as no shock but there were eyebrows to be raised elsewhere. Rory McIlroy, 78. Bryson DeChambeau, 76. Tommy Fleetwood, 76. Ludvig Åberg, 75. Cameron Smith played the front nine in 43 while en route to an 80. Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama could not break par. Step forward the world No 272, Daniel Brown, on his major debut, who as darkness fell strode to the summit of the leaderboard. It was that sort of weird day.

“You’ve got those bright yellow scoreboards out there so it’s hard to miss [where you are], but I felt comfortable with my game,” Brown said. “I’m very excited, but you’ve got to keep your feet on the ground. I’m just going to go out and do the best I can tomorrow.”

On a par-71 course, the scoring average at one point touched 75. The 73s from Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton felt decent in the context. Hatton did not come anywhere close to a rant or a rave yet did articulate what had made the environment such a grisly one.

“I don’t think you can put it down to one thing, I think it’s a combination,” Hatton said. “The conditions are difficult anyway. There’s a few holes that are just obviously playing really long. Unfortunately that’s where it’s going at the moment, where they just seem to try to make it longer to make it harder, which I think doesn’t make it the most enjoyable test.

“They didn’t put any tees forward. You can’t reach the par fives on the front nine [in two]. On 16, a par five, you’re hitting a four iron. Tell me a good par five where you’re hitting a four iron off the tee. There isn’t one.”

Smith, who lifted the Claret Jug in 2022, was even more candid. “It was brutal,” said the Australian. The counter-argument would be that modern golfers should be able to handle the stern challenge.

Nobody read the script of torture to Shane Lowry. As other illustrious names licked their wounds, the 2019 champion charged – briefly, as it transpired – to the head of proceedings.

Lowry did not drop a single shot during his opening round of 66. His putting was especially majestic until the final hole, when the Irishman arced a glorious iron from the middle of the fairway to just 5ft from the cup. “I’m pretty happy, but it’s only one day,” Lowry cautioned. The last time he was sub-par at the end of Open Thursday, he won.

Most surprising is the identity of the player who overtook Lowry. Brown, who is 29, had missed six cuts in his eight starts prior to arriving at this major. He laughed in the face of reputation while piecing together a bogey-free 65. Now for the hard part, of course, but he should relish the spotlight.

Justin Thomas sits at minus three. Alex Noren, Nicolai Højgaard, Mackenzie Hughes, Justin Rose, Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele are two under. Adam Scott and Brooks Koepka are among the contingent a stroke further back. So, too, is Scottie Scheffler after two birdies in his last three holes. Scheffler’s presence will trigger anxious glances from the rest of the field.

McIlroy’s troubles began at the Postage Stamp. Having taken a bolder line than was advisable towards the flag at the iconic par three, the Northern Irishman watched his ball trickle into a horrible lie in a greenside bunker. His first attempt from sand rolled back to his feet. By the time McIlroy tapped in, it was for a double-bogey five.

There was further woe at the 11th. McIlroy cut his drive to the point where his ball was last reported rattling around a carriage of the 11.35 Scotrail service from Ayr to Glasgow Central. Cue another two shots dropped. By this point, McIlroy looked as though he would rather be undergoing root canal treatment than walking a links in Ayrshire.

McIlroy’s demeanour when he signed for his seven-over-par tally was more telling than the words that fell from his mouth. He was asked if past recoveries meant he retains hopes of glory. Writ large upon his face was: NO. McIlroy’s battle here on Friday involves survival for the closing 36 holes.

DeChambeau, who pipped McIlroy to the US Open last month, was in an identical predicament before holing out from a different postcode for an eagle at the 16th. DeChambeau is yet to handle the vagaries associated with British seaside golf, which to be fair he readily admits.

“It’s a difficult test,” DeChambeau said. “Something I’m not familiar with. I never grew up playing it. I finished eighth at St Andrews; I can do it when it’s warm and not windy.

“I could have thrown in the towel after nine and could have been, like, ‘I’m going home.’ But no, I’ve got a chance tomorrow. I’m excited for the challenge.”

Woods limped and laboured his way to a 79. This proved the latest spell of unedifying viewing for those who recall the greatness of the 15-time major champion.

The end is surely nigh for Woods as a competitor. In the specific context of this tournament, he may be in fine company.