Shane Lowry off to a strong start at The Open

Shane Lowry began his quest for a second Open title with an impressive performance at Royal Troon. He carded five birdies in a bogey-free round of 66, which was only bettered by Daniel Brown’s 65 later in the day. Brown, ranked 272nd in the world, took advantage of calmer conditions to take a surprise lead in his Open debut.

Lowry’s solid start drew parallels to his victory at the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, while Rory McIlroy struggled with a seven-over-par round. Despite his strong start, Lowry remains focused on the task at hand and has fond memories of his win in Portrush.

McIlroy, on the other hand, dismissed his chances of contending for a fifth major title after a disappointing round. His double bogeys on the eighth and eleventh holes left him well behind Lowry on the leaderboard. Regardless, McIlroy remains determined to focus on each round as it comes.

Challenges for top contenders

Bryson DeChambeau also faced difficulties on the course, carding a 76 in the opening round. Despite a highlight eagle on the 16th, DeChambeau struggled with challenging conditions throughout the day.

Justin Thomas, however, managed to set the clubhouse target at three under par after a solid round. The two-time major winner showed significant improvement from his previous performance and remains optimistic about his game.

Alex Noren, Russell Henley, Justin Rose, and Nicolai Hojgaard were among the players near the top of the leaderboard after the first round. Rose, in particular, had to fight his way through a qualifier to earn his spot at Troon and delivered a steady performance on the opening day.