“I love it. I love it. It beats your head in, kicks you around and sometimes you get it back. It’s just great, great fun. It’s exciting.”
That’s how co-leader Scott Hend of Australia described Thursday’s windy action at the Scottish Open. It was a typical day on the links of Castle Stuart with winds whipping 20-30 miles per hour off the Firth of Moray. The last time the event was played on this site in 2013 there were 67 sub-70 scores on day one.
That didn’t happen on Thursday.
Instead, only two players broke 70 — Hend and Felipe Aguilar of Chile. That’s it.
Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland, the former U.S. Open champion, was one of eight players at 70, Luke Donald and Danny Lee were two of the 10 in at 71. Lee held a share of the lead going into the 18th hole but a double-bogey dropped him back with the 71 bunch.
While Hend might have loved the day, a lot of players probably didn’t.
Phil Mickelson was probably one. Winner at Castle Stuart in 2013, Mickelson opened with 76, as did Henrik Stenson.
J.B. Holmes finally had his lost clubs delivered to him by the airline but that wasn’t enough to keep him from shooting 80. American Jamie Lovemark opened his day with a birdie but it all went downhill after that and he finished with 82.
Patrick Reed shot 75 while Steve Stricker put up a 74.
It was a great day for links golf and the rest of the week promises more of the same high winds and dry conditions.
Good luck laddies.
