Oosthuizen, looking as calm as the conditions, was at 11-under 129, breaking the 36-hole Open record first set by Nick Faldo in 1992 at Muirfield and matched by Brandt Snedeker in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
This will be the fifth time in the last nine rounds at a major that Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion at St. Andrews, has had at least a share of the lead. He was runner-up at the last two majors, to Phil Mickelson at the the PGA Championship in May and to Jon Rahm the U.S. Open last month. I m not really going to think about the second spots, said Oosthuizen, when asked what he ll do differently this time. I know my game is in a good place.
The Open 2021: Louis Oosthuizen takes one-stroke lead into final day
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Jordan Spieth not convinced by good omen despite strong start at Open
Jordan Spieth carded a superb 65 on day one of the 149th Open (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Jordan Spieth remains unconvinced that a curious coincidence means he has a 50/50 chance of winning the 149th Open Championship, although his prospects look bright following a superb start at Royal St George’s.
South Africa’s Branden Grace has played alongside the eventual winner in the first two rounds in both 2018 and 2019, with Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau getting the prized draw this year.
And although DeChambeau complained that his driver “sucks” after an opening 71, Spieth had no cause for concern following an opening 65 to lie a shot off the lead held by fellow former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
For Spieth, that was as welcome as being an Open contender once again. It feels inside the ropes, from the first tee forward, the most normal of any tournament we have played thus far relative to that same tournament in previous years, Spieth said.
His 5-under 65 certainly turned back time to four years ago when he lifted the claret jug at Royal Birkdale the last English venue to host the British Open when he was hitting the ball better than he ever has.
Spieth was a shot off the lead held by Oosthuizen, who saved par from a fairway bunker on No. 18 for a 6-under 64. That tied the lowest opening round at Royal St. George’s, previously set by Christy O’Connor Jr. in 1981.
Oosthuizen makes early running as British Open returns July 15 2021 11:11 PM RELATED STORIES
South Africaقs Louis Oosthuizen in action during the first round of the British Open in Sandwich, Britain. (Reuters)
Text Size: AFP/ Sandwich, United Kingdom The long-awaited return of the British Open got under way under blue skies at Royal St. George’s yesterday as former champion Louis Oosthuizen shot to the top of the leaderboard with a six under par round of 64.
Another previous Open winner Jordan Spieth is just one shot back, alongside fellow American Brian Harman. England’s Richard Bland fired the first shot of the 149th Open Championship, which was delayed a year by the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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