Dustin Johnson took advantage of his power to blister the Old Course at St. Andrews with a bogey-free 65 and took a one-stroke lead over six players after the first round of the 144th Open Championship.
Johnson, bouncing back from a final-green three-putt when he had a chance to win the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay last month, collected five birdies and an eagle on the fifth hole.
“This venue here is one of my favorite (for) Opens,” said Johnson, who has been close so many times but never won a major championship. “It’s kind of hard to beat St. Andrews for an Open Championship. I really like the golf course. I think it sets up well for me. I’m very pleased with that.
“Everybody knows the weather Friday and Saturday is going to be very difficult, so today I thought was very important to get off to a good start and try to make as many birdies as you can. Because the next couple days, it’s going to be very difficult.”
Paul Lawrie of Scotland, who won the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, made his only bogey on the famed Road Hole, No. 17, in a 66 to tie for second with two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, Zach Johnson, Jason Day of Australia, Robert Streb and Danny Willett of England.
Jordan Spieth, trying to join Ben Hogan (1953) as the only players to win the first three majors of the year in the modern era, started with a 65 that included five birdies on the first seven holes to tie for eighth with Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who won the Open at St. Andrews in 2010, Kevin Na of Diamond Bar, Charles Schwartzel of South Africa and amateur Jordan Niebrugge.
Niebrugge, a 21-year-old senior at Oklahoma State, equaled the record low score by an amateur in the Open at St. Andrews set by Joe Carr of Ireland in 1960.
“It’s a cool way to play,” said Niebrugge, who made a birdie on the final hole. “It’s not target golf, like back in the States. Just to play around here and use your imagination is cool.”
Tiger Woods, who captured the Open in St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005, opened with a 76 that was the worst score of his career on the Old Course and left him in a tie for 142nd. Playing in his last Open championship, Tom Watson of Stanford also shot 76.
Phil Mickelson, who won the Open two years ago at Muirfield, was tied for 28th at 70, while Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, the Players champion who came in as one of the favorites after winning the Scottish Open last week, was tied for 67th at 72.
