Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, close friends since childhood in British Columbia, found themselves sharing similar struggles at the British Open on Thursday. Both finished with identical scores of 4-over-par 75, an outcome that left them equally frustrated.
Taylor, who gained national acclaim by winning last year’s RBC Canadian Open with a remarkable putt, was particularly exasperated by his performance on the greens at Troon. His frustration was so intense that he contemplated throwing his putter into the Firth of Clyde. “I might throw my putter in the ocean or go work for three hours,” Taylor remarked post-round. Upon hearing this, Hadwin, who has had his own issues with equipment, wryly noted, “Well, I only brought one putter.”
Hadwin, known for his occasional equipment tosses into water hazards, recounted his misadventures from earlier in the season. He had thrown an 8-iron into the water at Sawgrass and another club at Valhalla, the latter of which was retrieved by a fan. Reflecting on these incidents, Hadwin admitted, “By no means do I handle bad shots perfectly just yet.”
Meanwhile, young Japanese golfer Yuto Katsuragawa faced his own challenges on the picturesque Postage Stamp hole. Playing alongside Romain Langasque and CT Pan, Katsuragawa witnessed Langasque withdraw due to a back injury after a poor shot, while Pan bogeyed the hole, moving to 7-over through eight holes. Despite the chaos, Katsuragawa managed to keep his focus and finished with a score of 76.
The weather conditions at Troon were less than ideal, with rain and strong winds making it a tough day for spectators. Fans took refuge under giant yellow Open umbrellas, while the local dogs on South Beach seemed to be the only ones truly enjoying the elements, playing fetch in the sand and sea.
The final golfer to tee off on Thursday was Aguri Iwasaki, who did so at 4:29 p.m., nearly 10 hours after Justin Leonard had started the tournament. With the sun setting late in mid-July, Iwasaki had just enough daylight to complete his major debut.