Staff Reporter.
(Reuters) – Scottie Scheffler made a typically low key but efficient start to his British Open title bid with a solid four-under-par 68 at St Andrews on Thursday.
The American world No 1, who won this year’s Masters and finished tied second in the US Open, collected five birdies and a single bogey around the Old Course to finish in a group four shots behind leader Cameron Young.
Scheffler, 26, has consistently flown under the radar in his rise to the top of the rankings but has been a consistent presence on leaderboards all season.
He made a fast start with three successive birdies from the third hole and, after dropping a shot at the 13th, recovered with a birdie on 14 before plotting his way carefully through the closing stretch.
His low profile does not seem to bother him.
“I don’t really pay attention to that kind of stuff,” he told reporters. “For me, I’m just showing up and trying to play good golf.
“I mean, it’s y’all’s opinion. It’s all perception. For me, I’m just out here trying to play good golf.”
His game plan is very simple.
“I’m just trying to keep myself in position, avoid the bunkers, and just stay in position, really,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to do.
“There’s certain spots where you can attack this golf course, and there’s a lot of spots where you can’t. So just trying to manage expectations and really just trying to execute and hit good shots.”
Tiger Woods meanwhile made a dismal start to his opening round at the Open Championship as he carded two double-bogeys on the front nine at St Andrews on Thursday to slump to five-over par.
The American 15-times major champion, who has won the Open twice at the home of golf, looked out of sorts from the moment he found the water on the par-four first hole and started with a six on his card.
Bogeys at the third and fourth holes took Woods to four over par and he grimaced after failing to hole a short putt on the seventh green to rack up another six.
He did sink a six-foot putt to birdie the ninth, grinning broadly as he acknowledged warm applause from the crowd.
Woods, who returned to competitive golf in April at the Masters 14 months after suffering serious injuries in a car crash, missed last month’s US Open to prepare for the Open.
But the 46-year-old looked uncomfortable as he trudged around the Old Course and, already 13 shots adrift of early leader Cameron Young, needs to make up considerable ground if he is to avoid missing the halfway cut.
Woods was lying tied 145th in the 156-man field midway through his first round.