Golf

Matt Wallace cards first eagle of the 152nd Open to share lead early on day one

The 34-year-old had to come through final qualifying last year only to miss the cut at Hoylake.

An eagle for England’s Matt Wallace catapulted him into the early lead on the first day of the Open at Troon
An eagle for England’s Matt Wallace catapulted him into the early lead on the first day of the Open at Troon (Zac Goodwin/PA)
By Carl Markham, PA

England’s Matt Wallace carded the first eagle of the 152nd Open Championship to catapult himself into a share of the lead at Royal Troon on a testing first morning of unfamiliar winds and intermittent showers.

The 34-year-old had to come through final qualifying last year only to miss the cut at Hoylake but had no such worries this summer after finishing 20th on the DP World Tour rankings.

He had a brilliant start as, after a birdie at the second, he holed out from the semi-rough at the 612-yard fourth to leap to three under and into a share of the lead with American two-time major winner Justin Thomas, who himself missed the cut last year, after he birdied seven and eight.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott had his own magical moment when he holed his bunker shot for birdie at the first and a birdie at the 118-yard eighth, the signature Postage Stamp hole, moved him to within a shot of the lead.

Justin Rose, who had to come through final qualifying earlier this month – birdied the seventh to join Scott on two under, although he had played better than his score suggested – as evidenced at the tricky next where he escaped with a par after finding the sand off the tee.

The first of the morning’s marquee groups – Tommy Fleetwood, newly-crowned Scottish Open champion and home favourite Robert MacIntyre and two-time major winner Jon Rahm – played the first in regulation.

Following them world number four Ludvig Aberg birdied the first from 18 feet while US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau bogeyed after missing a three-footer for par.

At the head of the field two former Troon champions Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton were finding it tough, eight over and six over respectively after 13 holes.

Big names out in the afternoon include Tiger Woods, out with US PGA champion Xander Schauffele and his Ryder Cup team-mate Patrick Cantlay, and world number one Scottie Scheffler – looking for his seventh win of the year.

Henrik Stenson, the winner of an epic final-day tussle with Phil Mickelson when the Open was last held here eight years ago, is due out at 12.42pm.