Thomas leads Scottish Open after 62; Rory 3 back

July 11th, 2024 at 8:37 PM

In Scotland's North Berwick, Justin Thomas wore plaid pants and shot an impressive 8-under 62 in the Scottish Open on Thursday. This was his best start in a PGA Tour event since he shot a 59 in the Sony Open seven years ago.

Rory McIlroy is currently trailing by three shots after shooting a 65. He is optimistic that this performance will help him put his U.S. Open collapse behind him.

Thomas, who was ahead of Sungjae Im by one point, was playing really well in the easier afternoon weather conditions. He was doing so great that he even considered scoring under 60 like Jim Furyk. But that decision turned out to be a mistake.

"I believed the score needed to be 71, but when I checked, it was actually an even-par 70. I thought to myself, 'If I get a few more birdies, I could shoot a 59.' Surprisingly, I ended up making five pars in a row," the American golfer explained.

Thomas made four birdies in a row on the first nine holes at The Renaissance Club. Three of them were from close range, and he also birdied the 10th hole with an easy up and down shot. On the 12th hole, he made a fantastic 40-foot birdie putt.

During the first half of the course next to the Firth of Forth, he practiced his approach shots and managed to get his ball within 2 feet of the hole for a birdie on the 13th hole, bringing his score to 8-under par. However, after that, he started having trouble sinking putts, including missing a 10-foot opportunity on the 15th hole. On the par-5 16th hole, his tee shot ended up in the rough, followed by a 3-wood shot that landed in some thick rough. Despite the challenges, he managed to save par on that hole.

Thomas is skilled at playing golf in this way - it was his 54th time achieving at least eight birdies in a round - but recently, he hasn't been able to do it as often. He is still trying to find his way to victory since winning the PGA Championship two years ago at Southern Hills.

I made nine birdies during my round, but also had some bogeys at the beginning and end, finishing with a score of 63.

Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg managed to overcome two bogeys and was part of a big group with a score of 64. This group also included Maximilian Kieffer from Germany, Haotong Li from China, Thomas Detry from Belgium, and American Justin Lower. They all have another target in mind - they want to stay in Scotland for another week. The top three players who are not already qualified will earn a spot in the British Open.

The Renaissance Club has a links-style layout, although it is not true links turf like the players will encounter at Royal Troon next week. However, it does give them a taste of how the wind can affect their game and how the ball behaves on the ground.

For McIlroy, he just had to go back to his job.

McIlroy decided to take a break from golf for a week after competing in the U.S. Open. He narrowly missed out on winning, coming in just one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No. 2, with a few missed putts in the final holes.

He is attempting to consider the overall situation. He mentioned that the U.S. Open was a successful week except for the final four holes. McIlroy discussed his win at the Wells Fargo Championship and strong finishes at three other events.

"I won't let a few mistakes affect my confidence in how well I'm playing," he explained. "I was able to maintain my performance throughout June, not just during the U.S. Open. I performed well at the Canadian Open, Memorial, PGA, and Quail Hollow. My skills have been strong and were still strong when I arrived here."

"It's all about staying focused and not getting distracted," he explained. "I think I managed to do that well today."

Assisting in making an eagle from the rough behind the green on the third hole of the par-5, helped alleviate some of the frustration from missing birdie opportunities in the middle of the back nine. McIlroy, the current champion, has his sights set on defending his title and also on preparing for the upcoming tournament at Royal Troon.

This competition is authorized by both the PGA Tour and the European tour, and is a well-liked event leading up to the last major tournament of the year. However, not all players choose to participate. Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer, and Patrick Cantlay were just a few of the players who decided to skip this tournament.

The typical score was 68.7 with a gentle breeze in the AM and slightly lighter in the PM. Twenty-two players scored 65 or lower, and 98 players out of the 156-player group finished under par.

Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris did not perform well, scoring 71 which was disappointing for them.

"This links golf course has some of the best weather conditions you'll find," Thomas explained. "If you can drive the ball accurately like I did today, you'll have a lot of short shots. I can only see the flagstick from where I am."