Cameron Smith in horror scenes at British Open as Aussie blows chance at second major title

Cameron Smith's hopes of reclaiming his 2022 title at the British Open are all but over after a horror opening round at Royal Troon. Smith spearheaded a six-strong Australian contingent at the British Open just two years after his St Andrews triumph. But things couldn't have gone much worse for him on Thursday.

From the start, the Queenslander found thick rough with his opening drive that led to a bogey, then ended up with a triple-bogey seven on the second after driving out of bounds. He finished the day nine-over, ending his chances of a second British Open title.

It is numerically Smith's equally worst round at a major, tying with a 9-over 79 at Shinnecock Hills on a similarly tough day at the US Open in 2018. And it would have been a personal low if not for sinking a long putt on the 18th for birdie.

"Just a bad day, really. I mean, if you had have told me yesterday that I was going to shoot that, I wouldn't have said that was possible," Smith said - whose 80 matched that of Australia's amateur debutant Jasper Stubbs, who qualified by winning the Asia-Pacific Championship at Royal Melbourne near his home.

The conditions at the British Open on day one were undeniably tricky, however, Smith's playing partner Shane Lowry didn't have the same troubles as the Aussie. He leads the field after round one at 5-under after playing superbly despite the tricky conditions.

Smith's fellow playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick was also among a handful of golfers including Australian Adam Scott to finish under par. “If you ask Shaneo, it is probably a different story, but no, it’s hard, mate,” Fitzpatrick said.

“There was a lot of crosswinds and it was hard to keep the ball on the fairway and then, when you landed in the rough, it’s kind of you kind of guessing when you land something short with the bounces you are going to get, so yeah, it was brutal. It really was a good test of golf and you needed to be on your A-plus game to be under par and I witnessed it.”

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Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee in the hunt for the Claret Jug

Aussies Scott and Min Woo Lee had to endure the toughest of conditions to start their rounds, with early tee times condemning them to damp, windy conditions that improved as the day wore on. But regardless both made the best of the trying circumstances.

Scott began his round splashing in a birdie straight from the bunker and went on to shoot a one-under 70. The runner-up at last week's Scottish Open said he was finally feeling that he was getting back to his best. "My game is finally in some decent shape where I feel like I'm controlling the ball well," he proclaimed after finishing one-under.

While Lee had an unsurprisingly sluggish start considering the fact he was up at 4am to get ready for his first round. The 25-year-old bogeyed two of the first three holes, suffered a double bogey after driving out of bounds at the 11th but fought through the tough conditions to fly home with three birdies in his last four holes to finish par.

Of his early start, Lee saud: "I was up at four. I went to sleep, well I tried to sleep at 8 last night, went to bed early at 8:30, but I can't complain. I wasn't even in the first group!

"A couple of years ago, I was in the first group at St Andrews, and that was like a three o'clock wake-up," he recalled, adding with a laugh: "I don't know - it feels as if it should be illegal! But it's The Open. It's supposed to be difficult, but I had a good finish - so lunch will taste a little bit better."

Fellow Aussie Jason Day - the top-ranked Aussie who finished runner-up last year - ended with a 73 which he called "a decent start", adding: "I've just got to kind of clean up the mistakes a little bit and get myself back in the tournament."

with AAP