Jon Rahm was the favourite for the Open Championship even before this, his maiden Scottish Open appearance. A 66 at the Renaissance Club emphasised the fact that the recently crowned US Open champion is golf’s man of the moment. He is surely the one to beat at Royal St George’s.
The world No 1 played precisely as a man of such status should do. Seven birdies offset dropped shots at the 9th and 15th. Rahm’s bid to add the Scottish Open trophy to two of its Irish equivalents has started in perfect form. Justin Thomas, playing alongside Rahm, picked up a shot at the last to outscore the Spaniard by one. Thomas’s round was of bogey‑free variety.
Rory McIlroy, the third member of the marquee grouping, looked stuck in neutral during much of his 70. “Rory obviously didn’t play very well for his standards and we know he can do better but Jon and I were kind of feeding off each other,” Thomas said.
Whatever happened to Jack Senior? This has been a fair question, given events of 2011. Then, the Englishman defeated both Jordan Spieth and Thomas during the US Amateur Championship. The same year he formed part of a Walker Cup team which upset the odds against Spieth and others at Royal Aberdeen. Senior won another illustrious amateur event, the Lytham Trophy.
Fast forward a decade and Senior, now 32, finds himself 353rd in the world. “My career has been really, really strange,” he said. “I’m not going to stand here and say I’m not disappointed with the performances that I’ve had over the years.” Things could be about to change. A 64, seven under par, catapulted him to the summit of the leaderboard.
“I never have been a quitter,” he said. “I’ve always believed in myself and my ability. I can compete at any level that I turn up and play at. If I don’t believe that, I wouldn’t be out here playing.
“I’ve won at every single level I’ve played at. I can get across the line and I feel comfortable when I’m at the top of the leaderboard. I don’t shy away from the top of the leaderboard and when I’m out in front I don’t tend to back away. I try to keep the foot on the pedal and I’m going to have to do that this week.”
Lee Westwood’s fine year continued courtesy of a 65. Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick were among those to match Rahm’s 66.