It was not the type of morning we are used to seeing in Scotland at an Open Championship.
Dawn Thursday at Carnoustie was calm, balmy and this brute of a links course was there for the taking.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth summed it up perfectly:
“It couldn’t have been any easier to score today and it was still difficult,” said Spieth, who was among the early guys.
Yes, conditions were right for at least one low score.
And that’s where Kevin Kisner comes in.
Coming into this championship Kisner had missed the cut in three of his last six events (Wells Fargo, Players, U.S. Open) and pretty much played like a bum in the other three — T74 at The Memorial, T52 in Fort Worth and a wonderful 55th at Greenbrier. Wow. Is that what Open Championship leaders are made of?
Well, when you only have 22 putts for 18 holes, the answer is a fast — yes.
So we find one Kevin Kisner as the first round leader, thanks to an early tee time, those 22 putts and lots of luck.
After big par saving putts at the 17th and 18th, Kisner put 66 up on the board and it would remain there for the rest of the day.
“Nice to finish it off making that last one,” Kisner said of his seven-footer for par at 18. “My best putting round of the year. I feel like I can make every putt.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, explains why he is he leader.
But not to worry. Carnoustie has not been kind to first round leaders. In the seven previous Open Championships at this storied venue, none went on to win.
Which means we can now move on to who might hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday afternoon.
There are some pretty big names near the top, including some major champions.
Tony Finau hasn’t won a major but he tied for 10th at the Masters, finished fifth at the U.S. Open and he’s right there after his first round 67.
“It’s tough,” Finau said right after his early morning round. “You really have to think your way around this course and I did a good job of that today. A lot of it has to do with my attitude. I put myself in position today — that’s pretty cool.”
Brandon Stone, who missed from eight feet last week on the 72nd hole of the Scottish Open to shoot 59, is two shots off the lead thanks to some enormous luck. At the 18th, he yanked his second out-of-bounds and into the stands but the ball bounced out, went back in bounds and stopped on the fringe. Where was that bounce when Jean Van de Velde hit the right-side stands in 1999?
Pure luck turned a six or seven into par and Stone’s in at 67 with Ryan Moore and Brendan Steele.
The guys at two under (69) get interesting. World No. 5 Jon Rahm finished there and so did No. 8 Rory McIlroy, who actually made putts, including a 16-footer to save par at the dreadful par three 16th. You’ve also got the world’s No. 2 — Justin Thomas in that group and former Open and Masters champ Zach Johnson made it a nice early-finisher foursome.
Conditions would change as the day went on. Firm and fast became firmer and faster and add about 15 miles per hour worth of wind and Carnoustie got serious about defending her honor.
There would be no afternoon Kevin Kisners.
If you wanted to score late, you had to grind and toil, just to make pars.
Tiger Woods found that out.
“I’ve never played a golf course this firm,” Woods declared. And Tiger Woods has played a lot of golf courses. His even par 71 was one of the better late afternoon efforts.
Tiger’s round was five shots better than the world’s No. 1 — Dustin Johnson, who paid the price for hitting two balls out of bounds.
Yes, Carnoustie gave a little early and took a lot late.
It won’t get any easier the next three days.
“The thing you have to keep telling yourself is that everyone has to deal with it,” said Justin Thomas.
He got that right.
