Thriston Lawrence made seven birdies and four bogeys on Thursday in his debut round in a major championship to be the leading South African after the first round of the 150th Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews.
The 25-year-old from Mbombela who won the South African Amateur Championship in successive years in 2013 and 2014 was on three-under-par after the first round, one ahead of two-time Open champion Ernie Els and Dylan Frittelli. Dean Burmester and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen were on one-under, Garrick Higgo was on level-par and Christiaan Bezuidenhout was on one-over. Shaun Norris, Justin Harding and amateur Aldrich Potgieter were on two-over, and Zander Lombard was on five-over.
Lawrence got his career in majors off to the best possible start when he hit his approach on the first to 15 feet and made the birdie putt. He three-putted the second to give back that stroke, but he made a nine-footer for birdie on the third. He found a bunker on the par-five fifth with his approach, but he got it up and down for birdie.
He overshot the green on the difficult par-three eighth, and missed the nine-footer for par after a good chip. But he picked up shots on nine and 10 around the turn, driving the green on the ninth and two-putting there, and sinking a 45-footer for birdie on 10.
He three-putted from 60 feet on the par-three 11th to drop another, but made a 25-footer for birdie on 16. He overshot the green and landed on the road on the 17th, and his chip from there also missed the green. He managed to get up and down from 15 yards for bogey.
He drove the green on 18, and had the satisfaction of closing his round out with a two-putt birdie in front of the massive grandstands.
Lawrence’s 69 left him five strokes off the pace which was set by American Cameron Young, who had a bogey-free eight-under 64 playing in his first Open Championship. Young was two clear of Rory McIlroy, who had a great start with seven birdies and a bogey for his 66.
One shot further back were Australia’s Cameron Smith and unheralded Englishman Robert Dinwiddie, who each had just one bogey on their cards. On four-under, world number one Scottie Scheffler shared fifth with seven other players, including amateur Barclay Brown of England, Lee Westwood, Viktor Hovland and Dustin Johnson.
Also on three-under with Lawrence and 12 other players after the first round was Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.
