ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The Old Course was defenseless, and no one took advantage of it more than Rory McIlroy.
The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland
tied the major championship record Thursday by shooting a 9-under 63 in
the opening round of the British Open.
One of golf's brightest prospects,
McIlroy started his romp with an eagle at the 352-yard ninth, where he
drove the green and rolled in the putt. He then made six birdies on the
homeward holes for a 30 that tied the tournament's back-nine record.
McIlroy became only the eighth player
to go so low at the British Open, equaling a mark from 17 years ago by
the late Payne Stewart at Royal St. George. Overall, just 22 players
have shot 63 in one of the four major tournaments, including Greg
Norman and Vijay Singh, who each did it twice.
The last to do it: Tiger Woods at the 2007 PGA Championship.
"I didn't get off to a flying start,"
McIlroy said. "The eagle on 9 really sort of turned things around for
me, and I just got going from there. It was great to get into the
rhythm of the round and get into a flow. And yeah, it was a very
pleasant round of golf."
McIlroy had a chance to claim the record all to himself.
A brilliant approach at No. 17, the
famed "Road Hole," left him with a 5-footer for birdie. But the putt
slid wide of the cup, and McIlroy rolled back his head in
disappointment after tapping in the par, knowing that he had squandered
a chance at a truly historic score.
While no one ever expects to shoot 63 in a major, it was certainly a day for posting a low number.
The birthplace of golf played like a
muni, with hardly any wind blowing in off St. Andrews Bay and only a
sprinkling of rain. In fact, the sun popped out just as McIlroy was
finishing up, and competitors were able to strip off their jackets and
play in short sleeves.
When the expected storms didn't
materialize, at least for the morning starters, there were red numbers
all over the place. John Daly matched the best score of his Open career
with a 66, a number that was equaled by Scottish journeyman Andrew
Coltart.
Woods shot a 67, showing this might
be the week for his first victory since being tarnished by a sex
scandal that had the British media speculating as much about his
personal life as the prospects of him becoming the first player to win
three Open titles at St. Andrews.
The world's top-ranked player romped
to dominating wins in 2000 and 2005; a third straight would give him 15
majors titles, just three shy of Jack Nicklaus' career record.
Daly knows a thing or two about
problems away from the course, from failed marriages and financial woes
to trouble with alcohol and weight.
He underwent surgery to deal with
his ballooning waist line, and has lost nearly 100 pounds. But his game
had shown little signs of turning around — he's ranked 455th in the
world and his best finish of the year was a tie for 24th at the Puerto
Rico Open.
No matter, Daly still has quite the
following. Fans of "grip it and rip it" had no trouble spotting him at
the Old Course, where he wore lavender paisley pants, a sky blue
sleeveless sweater, a peach shirt and a turquoise cap. None of it
matched. Not that it mattered.
Strolling the course puffing on a
cigarette and carrying a diet soda, Daly put up his best score since a
66 at Royal St. George in 1993. It could have been a lot better, too —
four putts lipped out or caught the edge of the cup, including one that
spun 180 degrees around the back of the 12th hole to end a streak of
four straight birdies.
Could it be 1995 all over again?
That year, Daly managed to put aside
his problems long enough to capture his second major championship,
beating Costantino Rocca in a British Open playoff with a mop of blond
hair that was much longer than it is now.
"It's a golf course, I don't know, I
just love it. I don't know why," Daly said. "It suits my game. Just a
special, special place."
But the Old Course relies on the
elements to provide its best defense. Without the usual rain and wind,
it was like target practice for the world's best.
Of the first 42 players to finish,
only 10 posted scores above par. Among those in the red: defending Open
champion Stewart Cink, who got off to a solid start with a 70.
The afternoon starters, including Phil Mickelson, could only hope the favorable conditions held up for them.