There were many aspects of today that made it "unique". For example, we saw different sides of players (even the best) that we wouldn't normally see in a regular golf tournament. South African and 2012 Open Championship winner Ernie Els shot a 7-over (79) today. His round came undone almost as quickly as it started unfortunately, having hit a spectator, three-putted from a tap-in distance, and tripled bogeyed, all on the first hole.
Our pick Henrik Stenson also generated some hype today. On the 17th hole, Stenson hit his tee shot into rough, and after failing to escape the rough on his second shot, broke his club (a 4-iron) and continued on with the rest of his round.
The weather conditions were also slightly benign today, with no precipitation and very little wind, resulting in the lower scores. This is set to change however, as the week progressed.
Now for notable rounds today. Oddly enough, the top-5 on the leaderboard is dominated by Italians; Matteo Manaserro and Edoardo and Francesco Molinario (the Molinari brothers both shot 68's). Golf legend Tiger Woods shot a 69 and is T10, in his first major round since the end of 2013 and surgery.
Another storyline going around today is that of Englishman John Singleton, a local factory worker who lives near Royal Liverpool and, against the odds, qualified for the Open Championship, despite not playing professionally on any tour. Singleton shot a 6-over 78 today, but hopes to play well enough to earn a sponsorship and play professionally. It's stories like this that can only be found at majors and select tournaments.
Finally, here is how our picks are doing so far:
1) Graeme McDowell: T84 at 2-over (+2)
2) Henrik Stenson: T49 at even par (E)
3) Luke Donald: T66 at 1-over (+1)
4) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T105 at 3-over (+3)
Stay tuned for our coverage and recap of tomorrow's round,
-Nick
Toronto Golf Review
Rory McIlroy during his opening round at the 2014 Open Championship (Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)
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