Cameron Young may be competing in his first Open Championship but he has more knowledge of the St Andrews area than your average rookie.
In fact, Young was only 13 when his dad, the head professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, took the New Yorker on something of a bucket list trip to play golf around the Fife area, back in 2010.
“We played eight or nine golf courses in six days,” recalled Young, reeling off the Old Course, New Course, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Gullane and Crail as among the links courses they got to experience.
Of that Old Course experience? “My dad asked for permission to play from the back tees. So when we came out to hit our first tee shots with the R&A building [behind], there were a bunch of members watching. I’m glad I didn’t know, I’m sure I would have been nervous out of my mind. That’s really my first memory of [the Old Course].”
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Barclay hoping to bank some silver after opening 68
No amateur has won the Open since Bobby Jones lifted the Claret Jug in 1930 … but there is recent history of strong challenges for the famous trophy on the Old Course.
In 2015, Wicklow man Paul Dunne shared the lead through 54 holes, ultimately finishing in 30th place with Zach Johnson claiming the title after a three-man playoff.
This time, England’s Barclay Brown, at college in the USA at Stanford, got into the mix with an opening round 68 and said he’d got some pre-Championship advice from former Open champions Nick Faldo and Darren Clarke.
“They said keep it out of the bunkers and get good at hitting 60-foot putts. They should have said hitting 160-foot putts,” said Brown, who has his sights set on the Silver Medal awarded to the leading amateur.
Late injury woes rule out Rose and Van Rooyen
Justin Rose and Erik van Rooyen didn’t get to hit a shot in the championship, after both fell victims to late injuries.
Rose sustained a lower back injury in his final practice round. “I’ve been getting around the clock treatment but it just doesn’t feel ready,” said the former US Open, whose place in the field went to Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino (who carded a 75).
Springbok Van Rooyen withdrew ahead of his scheduled start time citing a neck injury, with England’s Aaron Rai called in to replace him.
Hoshino and Rai were rewarded for biding their time. Unlike Alex Noren. The Swede was first reserve at the start of the week but then decided to travel to the USA for the Barracuda Championship in California on the PGA Tour.
Number: 70
The cut mark through 36 holes will see the leading 70 players and ties advance to the final two rounds over the weekend. Up to the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale, a 10-shot rule was in operation which saw all players within 10 of the leader through the halfway stage advance. However, that rule was done away with after 113 players made it through that year.
Quote of the Day
“Let it go, dude. Let it go. That’s three times you’ve asked the same question. I don’t know what to tell you” – Phil Mickelson, reacting to a reporter’s questioning of his decision not to attend the Champions’ Dinner.
