Booed: Ian Poulter
(Picture: PA)European Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter was booed on the first tee over his role in the LIV Golf breakaway, but responded with a flying start as the 150th Open began at St. Andrews this morning.
Poulter is one of 24 rebels signed up to the Saudi-bankrolled circuit in the field for final Major of the year and was the first of them to get his opening round underway on the Old Course.
The 46-year-old looked rattled by the rough reception as he fired his tee shot well left and almost missed the widest fairway in golf, but recovered to make par and went on to briefly grab the outright lead on three-under after draining a mammoth 162-foot eagle putt on the ninth.
There were more favourable responses to Phil Mickelson, the early LIV posterboy, and even perennial pantomime villain Patrick Reed, who donned an LIV Golf cap, having worn an outfit splattered with the tour’s logos during yesterday’s practice round. Bryson DeChambeau, another of the breakaway stars, bounced back from an early dropped shot with a hat-trick of birdies to reach the turn two-under.
The PGA Tour has suspended LIV players from its events but so far no Major has followed suit.
Ahead of the Championship, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers insisted banning players from next year’s Open was “not on the agenda” but said the body would “review our exemptions and qualification criteria”, which could make it harder for LIV players to gain entry, given they do not currently earn world rankings points for events on the tour.
"Professional golfers are entitled to choose where they want to play and accept the prize money that is offered to them," Slumbers added. "I have absolutely no issue with that at all. But there is no such thing as a free lunch.
"I believe the model we have seen is not in the best interest of the sport as a whole and is entirely driven by money, which we believe undermines the merit-based culture and the pursuit of open competition which makes golf so special.”
While Poulter enjoyed an encouraging morning, fellow Englishman Justin Rose was forced to withdraw ahead of his tee-time because of a back injury. Sweden’s Alex Noren was in line to take his place as first reserve, but had already left to play the Barracuda Championship in California, leaving Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino as the late beneficiary as he joined a morning three-ball alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari.
The 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie had the honour of hitting the opening shot before America’s Webb Simpson set the early pace at three-under, only to slip back after two bogeys in three holes at the start of his back nine.
