For the majority of this first day of the 152nd Open Championship, it felt impossible to rationalise what had come before. The scale of fireworks on the final day of the Open at Royal Troon in 2016 left every onlooker grasping and gasping for superlatives. Henrik Stenson versus Phil Mickelson felt like golf’s equivalent of the rumble in the jungle.
Back in dreich Ayrshire – amid an infrequent wind and occasional squall – carnage ensued. The undeniable clubhouse leader after round one is the venue itself. It is for others to assess the entertainment value attached to that. Troon terrorised.
