Shane Lowry cruised to a bogey-free five-under-par round of 66 as blustery winds caused havoc in the first round of the The Open on Thursday.
The 2019 Open champion looked in total control despite the conditions but world No 2 Rory McIlroy and recently crowned US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau struggled badly in the blustery winds that made life difficult for most of the field.
Four-time major winner McIlroy, whose final-round collapse at Pinehurst handed DeChambeau his second US Open title last month, carded a seven-over-par 78, while the American finished at five over after a round of 76.
Fifteen-time major winner Tiger Woods had an even tougher day, shooting an eight-over par round of 79, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler finished at one under par.
McIlroy, seeking his second Open title, finished the day 11 shots behind Lowry and 10 back from two-time USPGA winner Justin Thomas.
American Thomas rolled in a 25-foot putt on the 18th to close at three under.
At two under were Sweden's Alex Noren, England's Justin Rose, Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard and Americans Xander Schauffele and Russell Henley.
Afterwards, Lowry said: "It was enjoyable. I got off to a bit of an iffy start and I holed a couple of nice par putts early on and then I got off and running and, yeah, I played some lovely golf. Very happy with it."
McIlroy is already in danger of missing the cut after a nightmare run of holes. At the par-three eighth, nicknamed the Postage Stamp for its small green, he found the Coffin bunker off the tee. On his first attempt to play out, the ball trickled back down the slope into the sand.
After taking double bogey there and bogey at the 10th, McIlroy drove out of bounds at the par-four 11th and incurred another double bogey.
Afterwards, McIlroy said: “The course was playing tough. Conditions were very difficult in a wind that we have not seen so far this week.
“When that happens it presents different options and I didn’t adapt well enough to the conditions.”
He added that his approach on Friday would simply be “to focus on trying to make the cut”.
DeChambeau said: “It's a completely different test and something I'm not familiar with. I didn't get any practice in and I didn't really play much in the rain. I never grew up playing it – I can do it when it's warm and not windy.
“I'm proud of the way I persevered today. I could have thrown in the towel after nine but no, I've got a chance tomorrow. I'm excited for the challenge. If I have some putts go in and hit some shots the way I know how to and figure out this equipment stuff, I'll be good.”
Rose, who came through qualifying to book his place at the tournament, closed with 11 consecutive pars to sit just behind Thomas.
Thomas said: “I feel like everything has been turning the right way, and I've been working on the right things.
“Just like I said, I haven't really had much to show for it. That's just how this game works sometimes. But I know that I'm close the way it is, and I'm just going to keep playing and not play for results, just play for my game, and it'll take care of itself.”
Rose, who burst on to the scene as an amateur at The Open in 1998 and who won the US Open in 2013, said he was confident he could challenge this week.
“I've been around long enough to know that I can [win],” he said. “I know how I'm feeling in the moment and I've been pretty good in my career at sort of winning the special ones.
“That's kind of what I've been really working hard for the last two to three years is to have the opportunity late in my career to have a couple of special amazing opportunities. That's what's keeping me going.”
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
THE%20SPECS
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
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Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
57%20Seconds
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Mobile phone packages comparison
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Teaching in coronavirus times
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
