J.B. Holmes leads historic British Open at Royal Portrush

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The opening round of an historic British Open began in the early morning Thursday with an emotional tee shot by Darren Clarke and finished in the early evening with J.B. Holmes in the lead by a stroke.

Clarke, who lives in Portrush and won this championship in 2011, was chosen to hit the first ball when the Open returned to Irish soil for the first time in 68 years. The long absence was in part the result of “The Troubles,” the sectarian violence finally halted by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and in part because the R&A took a lot of convincing that an Irish course could stage its biggest event.

Holmes made six birdies, finishing with one on the 18th that gave him a 5-under-par 66 on a day of rain and sunshine along the Antrim Coast. Irishman Shane Lowry was at 4-under 67. Twelve golfers, including 2012 U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka, currently world No. 1, were tied at 68.

Defending champion Francesco Molinari shot 74, Phil Mickelson 76, Tiger Woods 78 and local hero Rory McIlroy, who hit his first shot out of bounds and took a quadruple-bogey, had a 79.

Clarke, with an even-par 71, Portrush native and 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, who triple-bogeyed 18 for 73, and McIlroy have been credited in helping persuade the R&A to bring the Open back to their homeland.

“I didn’t think I’d feel the way I did,” said Clarke, “but when I was about to hit my tee shot, ‘Wow, it’s the Open Championship.’ We’re back in Portrush. It’s amazing.”

The same might be said about the 37-year-old Holmes, who underwent brain surgery in 2011 after suffering vertigo-like symptoms. Holmes finished third in the 2016 British at Troon, his best ever finish in a major.

“I didn’t miss too many shots,” Holmes said. “When I missed them I missed them in the right spot. I putted well, stuck to our game plan and executed it about as well as I could do it”

The plan? “You have to accept the conditions here and not get too greedy and go after pins. It’s a different plan than we play in the states. You’re firing at flags and everything else.”

Lowry was second to Dustin Johnson in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He was in front much for much of this round until Holmes overtook him late in the day.

“I suppose I was quite anxious going out there this morning,” said Lowry. “The wind was up early, but the first few holes played OK downwind, and I got off to a nice solid start. I felt very unconfident on the very first tee. I was glad it was downwind with only a 3-iron.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed today,” Lowry said. “The crowds are unbelievable and cheered on every tee box and every green. Such a special feeling.”

Koepka, winner of two U.S. Opens (his second one at Shinnecock) and two PGA Championships (the last one at Bethpage Black) in the last two and half years, got in some links experience by playing the European Tour before finally making his way onto the PGA Tour.

“I like the creativity you have to have about links golf,” he said. “You’ll be standing over a shot and see about 20 different flights and shapes. It’s just picking the right one. That’s what makes links golf fun.”