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World number 272, 29-year-old Englishman Daniel Brown, copes best with the difficult conditions on the golf course in Troon
Keystone
England's Daniel Brown surprisingly leads the British Open in Troon, Scotland, after the first day.
The 29-year-old, who is ranked 272nd in the world, mastered the challenging first 18 holes of the fourth and final major tournament of the year in treacherous wind conditions with 65 strokes (6 under par). This puts him one shot ahead of Ireland's Shane Lowry and three shots ahead of American Justin Thomas.
Top favorite Scottie Scheffler finished the day with 1 under par and is in a tie for 11th place. Other top stars coped far less well with the conditions. Tiger Woods needed 79 strokes, Rory McIlroy 78 and US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau 76. For them, Friday is primarily about staying in the prestigious oldest tournament in the world.
"The conditions are very difficult, we haven't experienced this wind yet this week," said four-time major winner McIlroy. American defending champion Brian Harman, who played a 73, said: "The back nine is tough, but the first nine holes into the wind, that's just brutal."
The coming days promise even more difficult conditions, with rain forecast for the weekend.
18.07.2024, 23:01
