Ah, the Scottish summer. “I wouldn't say it's warm when you have to wear a beanie in July, but Scottish people consider that a good day,” suggested German golfer, Yannik Paul. We were just about tempted to get the knotted hankie on the head and bare the legs.
At least it was – barring a brief shower – dry for the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open here at the Renaissance. The lack of any real wind, meanwhile, made the East Lothian links as vulnerable as a newly born gazelle tottering to its feet while a lion lurks in the undergrowth. The ambush was spearheaded by Justin Thomas, who carded a neatly assembled eight-under 62 to finish a stroke ahead of South Korea’s Sungjae Im, with Swedish Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg on six-under and defending champion Rory McIlroy in a posse on five-under.
In his bid for a first tour victory since the 2022 PGA Championship, this was a telling statement of intent from Thomas. A birdie putt of some 13-feet on the first hole got him off and running before he upped the ante with four gains on the spin from the fifth. The 31-year-old picked up another three birdies between the 10th and 13th and all of a sudden the phrase, ‘oooh, he’s on for a 59 here’ drifted around the media centre.
Of course, as soon as someone mutters such a prediction, you know it ain’t going to happen. The birdies dried up, he parred his last five holes and even managed to shank a 3-wood second shot on the par-5 16th. Those golfing gods don’t dish out.