The post Easiest hole on PGA Tour once again living up to its softball reputation appeared first on Golf.

The post Easiest hole on PGA Tour once again living up to its softball reputation appeared first on Golf.

If you’re a regular golf-watcher, you can probably picture many of the toughest holes on Tour: the meaty par-4 closers at Bay Hill and Quail Hollow; the recently lengthened par-4 5th at Augusta National; the 233-yard par-3 11th at Torrey Pines South. Bruisers all of them.

But what of the easiest holes? Or that matter, the easiest hole, period?

In the 2020-21 season, that distinction went to the 526-yard par-5 5th on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, home of the Tournament of Champions. The boys are back in Maui this week for the ToC, and exactly one round into 2022, Kapalua’s defenseless 5th is already well positioned to defend its title as the Tour’s biggest pushover, as noted Thursday evening in a tweet from Chris Solomon at No Laying Up.

How easy was the 5th? Of the 38 players in the field, 33 made birdie, 2 made eagle, 2 more made par and just a single player — Patrick Reed — made bogey, the result of a blocked tee shot into the native area right of the fairway. Reed hit a second tee ball, knocked his fourth shot on to the green and two-putted for his 6.

The scoring average for the hole on Thursday was a gaudy 4.053, meaning Reed, who shot a one-over 74, lost nearly 2 full strokes to the field with a bogey. Not something you see often.

The 5th actually doesn’t look that easy, at least not for mere mortals. The fairway — which has a center-line bunker — banks left to right, and you can’t miss too far right or you’ll pull a Reed. From the fairway, should you choose to go for it, you’re left with a daunting second over a gnarly ravine that guards the front-right of the green. Trouble can be found!

Drivers

Just not by Tour pros, apparently. On Thursday, the field, on average, was left with only 177 yards into the green, which doesn’t present much of a risk-reward decision for players who can hit 8-irons that distance. No risk, all reward. Making scoring even easier in the first round: preferred lies were in effect on account of soggy conditions.

“I didn’t find it all too difficult,” South African Eric Van Rooyen said after posting a six-under 67 that has him four back of leader Cameron Smith. “I think the course needs a bit of breeze to really protect it. The fairways are quite wide and it’s playing so soft, so if that doesn’t happen then the scores will be really low.”

And at the 5th, really, really low.

The other easiest holes on Tour last season? No surprise, the top 10 softballs were all par-5s. Runner-up honors went to another Hawaii hole, the 506-yard par-5 9th at Waialae (Sony Open), which had a scoring average of 4.171. The third-easiest hole was the par-5th at Sedgefield (Wyndham Championship), which had a scoring average of 4.220.

The easiest non-par-5 was the 341-yard par-4 15th at TPC Summerlin (Shriners), with a 3.464 scoring average.

Here, courtesy of the PGA Tour’s ShotLink database, are the top 10 most toothless holes from last season:

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The post Ryder Cup drama! Life-changing money! Bryson! Why Sunday golf at the BMW will be wild appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup drama! Life-changing money! Bryson! Why Sunday golf at the BMW will be wild appeared first on Golf.

The headline screams, doesn’t it? Sunday golf at the BMW will be wild. And we’ll explain the why shortly. But just how wild, you ask. Consider what the final 18 holes will mean to two players — Patrick Cantlay and Erik van Rooyen — who were just a shot apart on Saturday.

Let’s put Cantlay’s wildness number at one. (He is, after all, one of the more stoic players in the game.) One stands for where he could finish. He finished Saturday tied for the 54-hole lead. One stands for where he could start. A win would vault him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings, which would give him a two-shot lead at next week’s tournament, the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. (More on how that works in a sec.) One also stands for the number of automatic U.S. Ryder Cup team selections up for grabs on Sunday — which Cantlay could earn with a victory. (More on how that works in a sec, too.) 

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Van Rooyen’s wildness number is perhaps infinite. He enters Sunday 33rd in the FedEx Cup standings, which send only the top 30 to the Tour Championship. Make it, and he automatically snares spots in some of next year’s biggest events, including the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. Make it, too, and he plays for a $15 million first-place check — which is over FIVE times more than he’s made in his career ($2.5 million).    

“I’ve got nothing to lose,” Van Rooyen said. “Atlanta will take care of itself. I know Bryson and some of those boys are flying, but it’s a funny old game, so I’m focused on this tournament and trying to put myself in contention with a couple holes left.”

Oh yeah. We haven’t even got to Bryson DeChambeau. 

Sunday will be a wild one. 

Ryder Cup picks! 

The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and the last of six automatic picks for the U.S. team will be determined on Sunday. (Already qualified are Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas, while the Europeans automatic selections — nine in all — will be finalized on Sept. 12.) 

Entering this week, Tony Finau was sixth in the standings for the U.S. automatic pick, followed by Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Patrick Reed, Cantlay, Daniel Berger and Webb Simpson. According to the Ryder Cup’s website, it will likely come down to Cantlay, Finau and Schauffele on Sunday. Cantlay, the website says, can leapfrog into the spot with a victory, a Finau finish outside of the top four, and a Schauffele finish outside of the top three, but should he falter, it will come down to money earned — if Schauffele wins about $19,000 more than Finau, he’ll finish sixth.

Of course, still up for grabs are six U.S. picks from captain Steve Stricker (and three from European captain Padraig Harrington). Stricker will no doubt be looking at how Sunday and next week play out, as he announces his choices on the Wednesday after the Tour Championship (Sept. 8). 

“I don’t think I have a chance to qualify for the top six,” said American Sam Burns. “The only thing I can really do is go play golf, and if Captain Stricker wants to give me an opportunity, I would do anything to be on that team. We’ll see what happens.”

Life-changing money! 

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It’s not so much the cash on the line this week — though a $9.5 million pot is no chump change. But it’s also no $60 million, the purse awarded at next week’s Tour Championship. And that’s divided among just 30 players — the “last-place” finisher earns a whopping $395,000, while the winner, as mentioned above, brings home $15 million. 

Here’s where it maybe gets a little more difficult than shooting a 59 — explaining who qualifies for next week. But let’s give it a go. The BMW is the second leg of the Tour’s playoff system. Last week, the Northern Trust was the first, where the top 125 players in a season-long standings played to determine the top 70 in the standings for this week. Sunday will finalize the top 30 for Labor Day weekend’s Tour Championship — and the top of the top 30 has its perks. 

The No. 1 player in the standings — which, as mentioned, is Cantlay heading into Sunday — will start the Tour Championship at 10-under par. The No. 2 will begin at eight-under, the No. 3 at seven-under, and on down the line until the Nos. 26-30 players start at even par. So yes, a player could “win” the tournament, but won’t win, based on where he starts the event. 

According to the Tour’s projected standings, the top 30 “bubble” looks like this — No. 25 Joaquin Niemann, No. 26 Berger, No. 27 Sergio Garcia, No. 28 Charley Hoffman, No. 29 Billy Horschel, No. 30 Reed, No. 31 Hudson Swafford, No. 32 K.H. Lee, No. 33 van Rooyen, No. 34 Cam Davis and No. 35 Alex Noren. Last among the 70 is this year’s PGA Championship winner, and six-time major winner overall, Phil Mickelson. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I judge my season just by if I make the Tour Championship or not,” Garcia said. “Obviously if I make the Tour Championship, I know that I’ve had a really good season because it’s not easy to get there. I definitely look at it that way.

“But you can still have a very good season without making the Tour Championship. The playoffs nowadays, they’re so volatile. There’s so many changes that can happen with somebody being 105th in the FedExCup and having a great week and all of a sudden he jumps to 15th or 10th or something like that or even better. Obviously that is difficult to adjust to sometimes, but like I said, hopefully I’ll make it to the Tour Championship again and enjoy it there.”

Bryson!   

Finally, DeChambeau. You want wild? He’ll give you wild. 

On Friday, the Tour’s longest hitter shot a 12-under 60 at Caves Valley. On Saturday, he eagled 4 and 5. And he was leading by four shots standing on the 12th tee, only to hit shots in the water on that hole and the next and walk off the 13th green down a stroke to Cantlay — an amazing five-stroke swing in just two holes. 

They would finish tied for the lead at 21-under, which is three shots ahead of Sungjae Im, and four strokes ahead of Burns, Garcia, Abraham Ancer and Rory McIlroy.

“It’s ultimately about winning no matter what,” DeChambeau said. “Hopefully I can go get the job done tomorrow. I’ve done it eight times; hopefully I can make it my ninth.”

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The post ‘It was totally out of character’: Erik van Rooyen issues apology for PGA Championship outburst appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘It was totally out of character’: Erik van Rooyen issues apology for PGA Championship outburst appeared first on Golf.

Erik van Rooyen has issued an apology on Twitter for his outburst at last week’s PGA Championship. The 31-year-old lashed out on the 17th hole at the Ocean Course during the second round, bashing a tee marker and breaking his club after his shot found the water.

“Hey everyone, I’ve been quiet on here whilst I’ve done some reflecting,” van Rooyen said in a statement. “My actions at the PGA Championship were unacceptable. I would like to apologise to my team, my sponsors, the PGA of America and the fans for letting you and myself down.”

Van Rooyen missed the cut at the PGA, posting 72-81 over the first two rounds. It marked his first career missed cut in a major championship.

“It was totally out of character for me, and it should not have happened,” he continued. “I will learn from this and do better.”

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The post His player snapped SIX of his clubs: What happens during a meltdown appeared first on Golf.

The post His player snapped SIX of his clubs: What happens during a meltdown appeared first on Golf.

John Rathouz, caddying at a tournament some years back, and his man stood in the middle of the fairway. Finally. Over the previous 17 holes, his pro was left and right, and way down the leaderboard. 

Rathouz then heard a crack. Six of them.  

“A player of mine once broke six clubs in the fairway waiting to hit his second shot,” the caddie of 16 years told GOLF.com. “And it wasn’t crazy, either. It was kind of quiet.”

“He actually hit a perfect drive,” he continued. “Yeah, he was frustrated with his game. He knew he was going to miss the Saturday cut, and he had had enough. All these players reach boiling points out there, and some of them handle it better than others. It’s certainly part of being a touring pro is being able to handle the frustration and anger sometimes that comes with playing.”

On Friday, Erik van Rooyen handled it on a tee marker. During the second round of the PGA Championship, he went bogey, double, bogey at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, then proceeded to drop his tee shot on the beastly 223-yard, par-3 17th into the water right of the green. Van Rooyen would immediately take two more swings — one at the left tee marker from one direction, and one at that tee marker from another direction, the second one sending the head of the club flying off.  

Then van Rooyen had to finish the hole. And the 18th. And get his clubs from the caddie who had been walking side-by-side with him for the previous 34 holes. While cameras and fans watched van Rooyen, Alex Gaugert stood off to the side. His physical load became lighter. He had lost an iron. But the mental one just got heavier. His player had lost it. 

“As a caddie, if that was my player, we all understand how difficult it is what they’re doing out there — playing one of the hardest golf courses in the world under major championship pressure — and you kind of give them the benefit of the doubt in those situations,” Rathouz said. “I would have been embarrassed to be around him, and I would have thought that he would be embarrassed, but I also see that his reaction, while he’s still out on the golf course, is not to kind of like stop and apologize to everyone. Those guys kind of continue on in their little world, you sign your scorecard at the end, you putt out on 18, and they kind of let their guard down and become more normal people and apologize maybe.”

What about on the next shot? For van Rooyen and Gaugert, that came on a drop 126 yards from the hole, where he would go on to make a triple-bogey 6. 

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“The only thing you can do is go through the routine like always,” Rathouz said. “These guys are creatures of habit, and players and caddies, you do the same thing for every shot. So just get back into your routine is the best thing. I think sometimes asking a player a question is a helpful thing and that sometimes gets his mind off of whatever thoughts are going through his head. 

“You ask him a question, and all of a sudden, you got a little rapport or he’s able to kind of get back on track, in least a good frame of mind to get into the next shot. Like whether it’s, hey, where do you want to land the ball, or what do you got the wind doing here? It’s something you don’t normally ask him, but it’s a way to kind of jar him back into the process.”

Then comes the next hole. And the next tournament. As of Friday night, van Rooyen is the first alternate for next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Can a caddie ever make light of the meltdown? 

“Maybe later in the round, if you’re out of the golf tournament, or you’re going to miss the cut, you can joke about it out on the golf course still,” Rathouz said. “Otherwise, it’s going to be something that it’s probably the next week or that night at dinner if you’re out to dinner together. But it’s kind of got to read the situation and see that he’s open to that. I mean, if you do it the wrong way, and you want to keep your job, it can be something that you lose your job over honestly. But at the time, if that’s how it was going to go down, you’re probably going to lose your job anyways. 

“You have to be careful with it. It’s something that you certainly can joke about at some point.”

Which Rathouz was willing to do on Saturday for another memorable blow-up. 

“I’ve had a player throw a putter into the bushes after walking off the 4th green at the Players Championship,” Rathouz said. “He threw it into the bushes behind the tee box on 5. That’s a weird one, too, where you’re like, should I go get that? Should I leave it? I think some caddies would have left it. I went and got it. It’s a fine line there, too, where I want to keep my job, but at the same time is this guy demeaning me? So that’s tricky too. Hey, I understand he’s frustrated, whatever. 

“But the breaking six clubs in one fairway — I wish I would have broke one myself.” 

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The post Pro destroys iron, smashes tee marker in PGA Championship meltdown appeared first on Golf.

The post Pro destroys iron, smashes tee marker in PGA Championship meltdown appeared first on Golf.

For two days at the PGA Championship, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island has pushed its competitors to the edge.

On late Friday afternoon, it pushed one of them over.

Erik Van Rooyen, who entered the day at even par and a handful of strokes off the lead, exited the day with the golf world’s biggest blowup in 2021. The implosion — or, perhaps more accurately, explosion — was swift, but left an iron and a tee marker forever changed.

It all started on the 14th hole, otherwise known as the beginning of Kiawah’s hilariously difficult closing stretch. The five ocean-adjacent closing holes have been the hardest on the course through two days of play. Each of the five holes has played directly into the wind on both days of competition, yielding a gobsmacking 367 bogeys-or-worse during Thursday’s opening round alone.

Instruction

On Friday, the closing stretch yielded at least four bogeys or worse. We know this because we can look at Van Rooyen’s scorecard to see that on holes 14, 15, 16 and 17, he recorded four consecutive bogeys or worse. The fourth, and most inflammatory, came on the 17th hole — a ridiculous par-3 that belongs on the short list of most intimidating tee shots in professional golf. A 200-plus-yard forced carry greets those wishing to challenge No. 17 from the back tees, which Van Rooyen approached at the apex of his slowly stoked rage.

As luck would have it, he would join the growing list of pros to dunk his tee shot on the 17th into the water. And as luck would not have it for either his iron or the 17th tee marker, Van Rooyen was rather upset with that development. So upset, it turned out, he would smash his iron into the tee marker twice, snapping the clubhead CLEAN OFF the club in the process.

Check out the video below.

To his credit, Van Rooyen is far from the only one to express frustration — physically or otherwise — with the Ocean Course.

Swirling winds, diabolical pin locations and danger around every corner have presented some of the most difficult major championship conditions in recent memory. Bryson DeChambeau, who revels in carnage, admitted Thursday that the Ocean Course was toughest he’d played in his career. Shane Lowry, winner of the most recent Open Championship, said he was “goosed” trying to conquer the wind. Even Brooks Koepka, who conquered the similarly devilish U.S. Open at Shinnecock, admitted the conditions were “tough.”

Still, that didn’t stop social media from reveling in Van Rooyen’s meltdown.

Van Rooyen would go on to make triple-bogey on the hole, shooting nine over for the day. The 31-year-old won’t play the weekend at the Ocean Course, but his performance will live on in the memory of carnage-loving fans everywhere.

As for that iron? Well, we’re guessing it landed in the nearest garbage can.

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The post PGA Tour player reveals why he loves using a line when he putts appeared first on Golf.

The post PGA Tour player reveals why he loves using a line when he putts appeared first on Golf.

The subject of whether to use a line on your golf ball when you putt is a surprisingly popular one among golfers. It’s something all of us could do — if we wanted to, of course — and even pros remain divided on the issue.

There’s no clear answer if it actually helps. Talk to Top 100 Teachers and they say it depends on the person.

PGA Tour player Erik van Rooyen has tried both ways, but settled on using a line early in his career and has never looked back. It’s what makes him feel comfortable, and it’s become such a trusted part of his process that it’s a major driver of his equipment decisions. So much so that it was the motivating factor in his swing to the Odyssey Marxman putter which he’s been using loyally since 2018.

“This game is hard enough as it is,” van Rooyen says. “If you find something that makes lining up a little bit easier, you’d be silly not to use it.

The Odyssey Marksman putter has become an integral part of Erik van Rooyen's game around the greens.

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Thinking of making the switch yourself? Here are three reasons why Erik van Rooyen says it works for him.

1. It Focuses His Mind

“Without the line, I felt like I was guessing the whole time. With the line, it takes the guesswork out of the entire planning process,” van Rooyen says. “It’s all I’m then thinking about.

2. It Gives Him Feedback So He Knows What To Improve

“It’s a great and really easy way to evaluate whether you’ve hit a good putt or not,” van Rooyen says. “If that putt is rolling end-over-end, you know it’s either a miss-read, too much pace or too little pace. If it’s a pace issue, you know what to work on after your round.”

3. It Eliminates Variables

“The great thing about using a line and having it so clear on the putter is that it’s very easy to line up the putter, quickly,” van Rooyen says. “It takes a variable completely out of the equation for me, and it quickly becomes very instinctual.”

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The post Obsession of the Week: Erik van Rooyen struts his Greyson Clothiers stuff appeared first on Golf.

The post Obsession of the Week: Erik van Rooyen struts his Greyson Clothiers stuff appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to a new column, Obsession of the Week, where we highlight one thing that caught our eye in golf over the weekend. Whether it’s Tiger’s shoes, Lexi’s headcover or a limited-edition Masters item, we’ll walk you through what it is and where you can get it. This week, Erik van Rooyen’s bold polo and joggers stole the show at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Heading into the final round of the WGC-Mexico Championship, Erik van Rooyen found himself in contention alongside Patrick Reed. And, if there’s any indication he was feeling it during Sunday’s final round, you only need to look at his outfit.

Erik van Rooyen in his Peacocking polo and Montauk joggers from Greyson Clothiers.

Getty Images

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Van Rooyen sported the “Peacocking” polo and Montauk joggers from his sponsor, Greyson Clothiers.

A high-end golfwear company, Greyson Clothiers likes to push the boundaries of on-course style with trendy items like joggers and bold-printed polos. The company also has plenty of more traditional styles to choose from as well if you’re not as adventurous of an on-course fashionista.

While van Rooyen’s peacock-inspired polo was a bold choice, pairing it with a plain, yet stylish pair of pants made the outfit fashionable without going overboard. What’s more, his outfit stood out on a Sunday leaderboard packed with some of golf’s biggest names.

Erik van Rooyen congratulates Patrick Reed after Reed's victory.

Getty Images

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Van Rooyen’s preference for joggers on the course capitalized on a newer trend in the game of bringing more athletic and comfortable styles to the course. When Sam Ryder first wore joggers at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in 2018, the golf world nearly lost its mind.

Regardless of whether you’re a trend-setter or prefer more traditional golfwear, Greyson Clothiers’ diverse offerings means they have something for everyone. And the best part is all of their clothing is made from the highest quality fabrics and designed with athletes and performance in mind.

Greyson Clothiers' golfwear is designed with style and performance in mind.

Getty Images

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The eye-catching pieces from Greyson also work just as well on the course as they do off it, meaning you get more bang for your buck. You can shop the entire Greyson Clothiers collection here.

Each product we feature has been independently selected by GOLF.com’s editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a small commission.

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The post The Open 2019: South African pro grilled about ankle-baring British Open trousers appeared first on Golf.

The post The Open 2019: South African pro grilled about ankle-baring British Open trousers appeared first on Golf.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The media had questions for Erik Van Rooyen after his second round on Friday. The South African had just shot 68 and was inside the top 10 at the 2019 Open Championship, but that was little more than an afterthought. The real topic of conversation: His trousers, which, it must be said, were quite unusual.

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Sources inform me that the official term for these trousers are called “joggers.” There’s a bit of elastic around the ankles which prevents the bottoms from getting dirty, and it’s why they run a touch shorter than regular trousers.

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As you can probably tell, I’m not a big joggers-wearer. Maybe I should be. Maybe it’ll improve my own game. But either way, I have become fascinated with them, and apparently I’m not alone.

In his post-round press conference, the media asked van Rooyen a combined seven questions — six of which were about his trousers.

Q. Really delighted to see those trousers.
ERIK van ROOYEN: With these?

Q. I’m going through a midlife crisis so I love them. I don’t think many of my colleagues do. This is the first time you’ve worn them?
ERIK van ROOYEN: Yeah, I’ve got a few different colors. I started wearing them this year.

Q. Why? What do you like about it?
ERIK van ROOYEN: I like the fact that it’s a little bit different yet still classy at the same time. It’s not out there and whacky with a bunch of flashy colors and that kind of thing. But it is different and I like it.

Q. Is it just the style helps your golf?
ERIK van ROOYEN: I don’t think it helps my golf, but it is comfortable and I like standing out a little bit.

Q. Did you have any remarks from any of the other players or governing bodies?
ERIK van ROOYEN: No governing bodies, no. I’m kind of glad they haven’t stepped up and asked me about it. But I get crack from all the players on Tour all the time, and that’s okay. I can handle it.

Q. One of your playing partners said, Not many people can pull it off, but you probably can.
ERIK van ROOYEN: If you’re going to wear it, you’ve got to own it. I feel like I’m owning it.

Naturally, the South African’s trousers did not go unnoticed by the Twitter style police…

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The post While you were sleeping: What you missed Thursday morning at the British Open appeared first on Golf.

The post While you were sleeping: What you missed Thursday morning at the British Open appeared first on Golf.

Wake up! The 147th Open is upon us. All sorts of things happened while you were sleeping, and not all of them even happened on site. (Check out the live leaderboard here.)

Bombs away!

You may have heard that Carnoustie is playing hard and fast. Well, we weren’t lying. Players are going to hit the ball very far, starting on the 1st hole. Thomas Pieters was the first example. Jon Rahm followed.

You won't see many taking this route. @JonRahmpga 💪🏼 #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/No5NEvHS1p

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 19, 2018

Jhonny Vegas made it…barely

The Venezuelan pro unfortunately found out last week that his visa to travel to Scotland expired the day he intended to fly. Not exactly the start you’re looking for. Over the past week, he’s had passport delivery issues, flight delays and a complete rerouting of his travel. It led him to this itinerary: Houston to Toronto to Glasgow, only to catch a helicopter to Carnoustie. Unfortunately, his clubs didn’t follow the same path, so he’s playing with a set assembled last minute by TaylorMade staffers on-site. Rest assured, he parred the opener. You can read more about his story here.

Kevin Kisner is your leader in the clubhouse

Kisner is winless for the past 14 months on Tour, but he came out blazing Thursday at Carnoustie. After dropping a shot on the 5th hole, Kisner played the final 13 in five under to hold the solo clubhouse lead by one over Erik Van Rooyen. The South Carolina native made an eagle on the 6th hole, a birdie on the 8th and then added three straight birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15.

Kisner grinded his way through missed greens on the final three holes to get in the clubhouse. With wind speeds expected to increase as the afternoon rolls on, it’s fair to expect him to hold at least a share of the top spot.

Danny Willett is back?

Willett shot one of best rounds of the early morning wave despite starting his round with a bogey on the 1st hole. The Englishman made three straight birdies on Nos. 4, 5 and 6, making the turn in 34. He added birdies on the 10th and 13th before dropping shots on the 17th and 18th. He signed for a 69 to trail by two.

Willett struggled mightily to begin his season, but he has amassed three top 20 finishes in his last five weeks. Could he be turning things around? Through 18 holes, he sure is.

Sandy Lyle was decked out in Open gear

Lyle, 1985 British Open champ, held the honor of hitting the first tee shot Thursday, so regardless of how he played, he’d at least have some cameras on him. Whether that was good or bad, it became some free branding for the event merchandise.

It’s 130 in the morning but it took a few minutes for me to realize Sandy Lyle and not a volunteer marshall was leading off The Open. pic.twitter.com/zuWtosKTG3

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) July 19, 2018

Lyle started hot in that gear, too! The 60-year-old made a couple of birdies on his front nine and turned in one under. Unfortunately he ran out of steam on the back nine and finished the day with a four-over 75.

The post While you were sleeping: What you missed Thursday morning at the British Open appeared first on Golf.