SANDWICH, United Kingdom: Louis Oosthuizen led after the first round at The Open as a six under par 66 from the South African put him one shot clear of American duo Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman.
The 149th Open Championship got underway under blue skies at Royal St. George’s in Kent on Thursday after the 2020 event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Up to 32,000 fans will take to the course in Sandwich each day as Covid-19 restrictions ease in England despite a spike in positive cases.
“It feels the most normal of any tournament I think that we’ve played thus far relative to that same tournament in previous years pre-Covid,” said Spieth, aiming to emulate his 2017 Open victory at Royal Birkdale.
Oosthuizen has been frustrated so far this year in his attempt to add to his only major triumph, a dominant victory in the 2010 Open at St. Andrews.
The world number 13 finished second in this year’s two most recent majors, the US PGA Championship and US Open, and is now in contention again.
After starting with seven straight pars, Oosthuizen accelerated around the turn with seven birdies in 10 holes.
“The perfect round I could have played,” said Oosthuizen.
“I didn’t make many mistakes. When I had good opportunities for birdie, I made the putts. So just a very good solid round.”
Spieth has rediscovered his form of late with a victory at the Texas Open in April his first in nearly four years.
“Golf is a game played between the ears,” added the three-time major champion. “When it’s not going great, you can certainly lose quite a bit of confidence.
“That was the first time I’ve had to really try and build confidence back up, and it takes time.”
Spieth shot up the leaderboard thanks to four consecutive birdies between the fifth and the eighth holes and finished strongly by picking up two more shots at 15 and 16.
Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes, on his Open debut, South African Dylan Frittelli, Americans Stewart Cink and Webb Simpson and France’s Benjamin Hebert are two off the lead after rounds of 66.
World number four Colin Morikawa and English trio Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett are among those on three under.
Dustin Johnson’s best finish at an Open Championship came at Royal St. George’s 10 years ago when the world number one finished second to Darren Clarke and he is well positioned after an opening round of 68.
Pre-tournament favorite Jon Rahm, the recently crowned US Open champion, was stung by a double bogey at the par four ninth, but finished with a birdie for a one over round of 71.
Rory McIlroy’s quest to end a seven-year major drought got a late boost as he birdied two of the last five holes for an even par round of 70.
Brooks Koepka admitted pre-tournament that he is no fan of the course, but the serial contender for major championships kept himself in the hunt with a round of 69 despite bogeying the 18th.
Bryson DeChambeau accepted before teeing-off that his booming drives may have to be tempered this week, with staying out of the lush rough the key to remaining in contention for the weekend.
DeChambeau, however, consistently found himself hacking out from what he said were “diabolical” positions from off the fairway during a mixed round of 71 featuring four birdies and five bogeys.
“If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks,” said DeChambeau.
But his round was as nothing compared to that of Phil Mickelson who, fewer than two months on from becoming the oldest major winner at 50 by winning the US PGA, carded an 80 that left him rock bottom of the field.
‘Perfect’ Oosthuizen grabs first round lead as The Open returns
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‘Perfect’ Oosthuizen grabs first round lead as The Open returns
- After starting with seven straight pars, Oosthuizen accelerated around the turn with seven birdies in 10 holes
- Up to 32,000 fans will take to the course in Sandwich each day as Covid-19 restrictions ease in England
Saudi Cup place available in Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques qualifier at King Abdulaziz Racecourse
- Last year’s winning jockey Joel Rosario back to ride for Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz
RIYADH: Joel Rosario will aim for back-to-back wins in the Group 3 SR1,500,000 ($400,000) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup — a qualifier for the 2026 Saudi Cup — aboard Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.
The US-based Dominican rider is one of several high-profile jockeys booked to appear this weekend on a glittering card, with Christophe Soumillon, Mickael Barzalona and Danny Tudhope all jetting into Riyadh and taking on the likes of local champion Adel Alfouraidi.
Rosario scooped the 1,800m trial 12 months ago aboard Rattle N Roll (US) for trainer Kenny McPeek, but will this time don the Red Stable silks of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz to partner last year’s 1000 Guineas and Fillies’ Mile winner after she recently bolted up in the domestic G3 Prince Sultan Ben Abdulaziz Cup.
The winner of six of her seven starts is one of four Red Stable representatives, along with last year’s second and third — Wait To Excel (GB) and Wootton’sun (FR) — while El Jabartee (IRE) completes the quartet looking to qualify for the $20 million showpiece on Feb. 14.
Soumillon and Barzalona both compete for the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz aboard Lionel (US) and Michael Scofield (US), who recently fought out the finish to the domestic G2 Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Cup, with Camilio Ospina on globally Listed King Saud Cup hero Haqeet (US).
Trainer Thamer Aldaihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah have four runners with their jockey Ricardo Ferreira electing to partner last year’s 2000 Guineas winner and Saudi Derby third Mhally (GB).
Also in the 20-strong field is Scotland Yard (US), who was second on his recent comeback under Alfouraidi, having disappointed when strongly fancied for this race in 2025 before bouncing back to score in the Tuwaiq Cup on Saudi Cup weekend.
There are three other qualifiers for Saudi Cup weekend on Saturday, with Aldaihani and his jockey-owner combination responsible for unbeaten and top-rated Al-Haram (IRE) in the SR465,000 2000 Guineas — a Saudi Derby qualifier — and 19 will go to post in the 1000 Guineas, won last year by Ameerat Alzamaan.
The qualifier for the Obaiya Arabian Classic, the G3 SR165,000 Al-Dareyah Cup, has drawn a field of 12 headed by the Nasser Mutlaq-trained Turki Al-Khalediah II (KSA), while 18 will go on trial in the SR165,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Qualifier sponsored by Nova.
Earlier in the weekend, an additional four qualifiers are staged on Friday, when the turf course is swung into action. The highlight of this is the SR1,000,000 Listed Prince Khalid Abdullah Cup, in which one runner will secure a gate in the newly upgraded G1 Neom Turf Cup presented by Howden on Saudi Cup day.
Last year’s winner Bolide Porto (IRE) returns for the White Stable and Ospina, and he was most recently seen taking third behind the UK import Candyman Stan (IRE) for the Al-Ghuraban Stable and runner-up Monsieur Jumbo (FR) in a course-and-distance open last month.
The card opens with the SR165,000 1351 Turf Sprint Qualifier sponsored by Saudia, in which Barzalona holds excellent claims for the White Stable aboard French import Cacofonix (IRE) after he ran second on his Riyadh debut to the Red Stable representative Zefzaf (US), who will be partnered by Rosario, on Dec. 19.
Race two is the SR165,000 Red Sea Turf Qualifier sponsored by Baden Galopp and BBAG Sales and White Stable have a big chance here with the hat-trick-seeking Sayyah (US) under Naif Alanazi, with the four-year-old switching to the grass and attempting 3000m for the first time.
The final Friday qualifier is the SR165,000 Al-Mneefah Qualifier sponsored by SHG, in which the lightly raced Adeeb Al-Shahania (FR) is turned out quickly after an excellent fourth to the exciting Nadem Al-Molwk Al-Khalediah (KSA) in the G1 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Cup last weekend.
Old rivals Baseq And Bake (US) and Jade De Faust (FR) will again do battle on Friday, with the Purebred Arabian pair heading 11 runners in the G3 SR150,000 Sprint Championship over 1200m.
Returning to Saturday, and enormous prize money of SR5,000,000 is up for grabs in both the King Abdulaziz Cup over 1,600m for Purebred Arabian Horses and the domestic G1 King Abdulaziz Cup for three-year-olds, which sees Red Stable runner Thayaf (KSA) bid to maintain an unbeaten sequence after landing all three starts under Ferreira.
There is a further domestic G1, too, with 12 declared for the SR1,500,000 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup for local breeds, in which hat-trick seeking Badr Alsamawi (KSA) tops the ratings, having been fifth in last season’s Saudi Derby.
