Brooks Koepka’s day started impressively Thursday at Carnoustie.
He began his quest for the 147th Open Championship by driving the green at the 356-yard opening hole, nearly holed his eagle putt but his tap-in birdie was still a great start.
The U.S. Open champion carefully plodded his way over the next three holes before things started to go haywire.
He made double at the fifth, bogey at seven then tangled with a pot bunker at the eighth, resulting in another double. Another bogey at the ninth and it all added up to a round-destroying 41 going out. He played the last five holes of the outward nine six-over.
He began to right the ship with a nifty birdie at the 10th then ran off three straight starting at the 12th.
Long left at 16 cost him a bogey but a beautiful approach into the difficult 17th from 228 yards left him 10 feet for birdie and he’d make that. His birdie bid at the finishing hole missed and he did the near impossible — he made a 10-shot turnaround to shoot 72 the hard way: 41-31.
Although his one-over round left him tied for 50th place, the two-time U.S. Open champion said he felt like his game was where it needed to be.
“Even that five-hole stretch I had, I felt like I played really well. Sometimes links golf just isn’t the most rewarding on good shots,” he said. “Obviously, I felt like I played better than a 72, but I’ll take it (after going) 6 over in five holes.”
If you think Koepka is too far off the lead of Kevin Kisner (six shots), think again. Koepka opened with a 75 at Shinnecock Hills last month at the U.S. Open and still went on to win.
The Jhonny Vegas Nightmare:
This could be a first in major championship history. Jhonattan Vegas arrived in Scotland early Thursday morning, he was taken by helicopter to Carnoustie and made his tee time.
He had no preparation and was fortunate to make it and it all started with an expired Visa. Vegas found out that his Visa had expired. He had to go through the painful process of getting it renewed before he could leave the country. He eventually made it to Glasgow but there was still a major problem. He was separated from his golf clubs.
With all the equipment trailers on site, Vegas was in luck. His club company made him a set and he used them for the first time Thursday morning on the practice ground.
So out he went, no preparation whatsoever, his first experience at Carnoustie.
He shot 76 and as bad as that was, still tied the world’s No. 1 player — Dustin Johnson.
Fact is, Vegas had a pretty good excuse for not playing better.
Johnson did not.
