The Open 2024 LIVE: First round golf leaderboard as Brian Harman looks to defend title

The Open is the one main which Tiger Woods, who hasn’t come near replicating his earlier kind, feels he will be realistically aggressive. That’s with the appropriate situations on hyperlinks programs the place accuracy has a premium over distance.

He stated: “The older you get the much less you possibly can carry the golf ball however over right here, you possibly can run the golf ball 100 yards if you happen to get the appropriate wind and the appropriate trajectory.

“I believe that’s one of many the explanation why you see older champions up there on the board as a result of they’re not pressured to have to hold the ball 320 yards any extra.

“I’ve been coaching lots higher. We’ve been busting it fairly exhausting within the gymnasium, which has been good. (The) physique’s been feeling higher to have the ability to do such issues, and it interprets on with the ability to hit the ball higher.”

Tiger Woods has dismissed discuss of imminent retirement and aimed a barbed remark at Colin Montgomerie for suggesting he ought to give up the sport.

Woods missed the lower by two strokes eventually month’s US Open and that prompted European Ryder Cup nice Montgomerie, 61, to say on the weekend: “There’s a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, nevertheless it’s very troublesome to inform Tiger it’s time to go. Clearly, he nonetheless feels he can win. We’re extra sensible.”

When requested about these feedback forward of The Open at Royal Troon, Woods replied: “Nicely, as a previous champion, I’m exempt till I’m 60. Colin’s not.

“He’s not a previous champion, so he’s not exempt, so he doesn’t get the chance to make that call. I do.

“So after I get to his age, I get to nonetheless make that call, the place he doesn’t. I’ll play so long as I can play and I really feel like I can nonetheless win the occasion.”

“I do know that I’m in a great place,” McIlroy stated, “If I take into consideration 2015 by means of 2020, I seldom had a practical probability to win a significant championship in that five-year interval. So I’d a lot moderately have these shut calls. It signifies that I’m getting nearer.

“I’d love to have the ability to get one over the road, however as quickly as I try this, persons are going to say, properly, when are you going to win your sixth? So it’s by no means ending.”

Rory McIlroy insists he would moderately have agonising shut calls than no probability to win after rapidly turning his US Open heartbreak into main motivation.

McIlroy briefly held a two-shot lead at Pinehurst with 5 holes to play however bogeyed three of the final 4, lacking very quick putts on the sixteenth and 18th to complete a shot behind Bryson DeChambeau.

It was the 35-year-old’s greatest probability to win his first main since 2014 and introduced again painful reminiscences of squandering a four-shot lead within the remaining spherical of the 2011 Masters with a closing 80.

Eight years on, the world quantity 11 heads to Ayrshire in an infinitely higher mind set and one of many betting favourites as he chases a primary main title.

“Nicely I performed horrible,” Fleetwood stated with a smile when requested by the PA information company for his reminiscences of the 2016 Open. “I used to be actually fighting my sport on the time.”

For a participant who has taken notes on each shot he has hit since he was 15 years previous, Matt Fitzpatrick is surprisingly at a loss to elucidate his poor Open report.

The 2022 US Open champion additionally has top-10 finishes within the Masters and US PGA Championship underneath his belt, however a tie for twentieth at Royal Portrush in 2019 stays his greatest end in his residence main.

Listed here are the most recent betting odds forward of the beginning of The Open. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is the present favorite with Rory McIlroy additionally backed to finish his main trophy drought:

Viewers in the UK can watch each spherical stay on Sky Sports activities Golf, with stay stream protection accessible to subscribers on Sky Go.

The broadcaster’s TV schedule is as follows (all occasions BST):

Thursday 18 July: 6.30am-9pm

Friday 19 July: 6.30am-9pm

Saturday 20 July: 11am-8pm

In the event you’re not a Sky buyer, you possibly can seize a NOWTV Day Go right here to observe and not using a subscription.

The 152nd Open Championship takes place at Royal Troon Golf Membership in South Ayrshire, Scotland between Thursday 18 July and Sunday 21 July.

Welcome to The Unbiased’s protection of the 152nd Open Championship. The ultimate main of the yr begins this morning at Royal Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Defending champion Brian Harman is hoping to win back-to-back titles and obtain a hotter welcome from the crowds than final yr whereas newly topped Scottish Open winner, Robert MacIntyre, will fancy his probabilities after his victory at The Renaissance Membership final week.

Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are all being backed to make a powerful however this hyperlinks course is difficult and testing with a robust opening spherical essential to set gamers up for a weekend push.

The primary teams tee off at 6.35am and we’ll have all the most recent updates all through the opening spherical.