By Martyn Herman
SOUTHPORT, England, July 16 (Reuters) - England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Im Sung-jae shared the lead of the British Open halfway through the opening round at a scorched Royal Birkdale on Thursday as defending champion Scottie Scheffler made a solid start.
Playing together in the seventh group, Brown and Im took advantage of ideal scoring conditions to both card four-under 66s before the breeze kicked in off the Irish Sea.
World number one Scheffler, bidding to become the first
man since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to retain the title, began as he finished last year at Royal Portrush -- making it look easy.
He rolled in four birdie putts in his opening six holes but a bogey at the seventh and another when he missed a short par putt on the 17th after a wayward approach meant he had to be content with a two-under 68.
"I felt like I could have gotten a little bit more out of it, but yeah, if I continue to do what I did today with the ball-striking I'll be in a good spot as the week goes on," Scheffler, who believed someone may have stepped on his errant ball at the 17th, told reporters.
"Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today."
Playing partner Bryson DeChambeau looked in the mood to make an impression after missing the cut at the year's first three majors as he compiled a three-under 67, a bogey five at the 18th depriving him of a share of the clubhouse lead.
DeChambeau was in a group on three under with Belgium's Thomas Detry, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, 2018 Open champion Francesco Molinari and American Alex Smalley.
STRONG ENGLISH CONTINGENT
Puffing regularly on cigarettes, Brown made only eight pars in an up-and-down round, with seven birdies, including a 20-footer on the par-three 12th and an up-and-down at the 17th.
"It's only Thursday so hopefully I'll be kicking around at the weekend in the later groups," Brown, who led after the first round at Royal Troon in 2024, said.
After England's World Cup heartache against Argentina on the eve of the Open, home fans in the avalanche of ticket holders streaming across the Merseyside links course, were hoping for some comfort from a strong English contingent.
No Englishman has won the Open since Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992 and one player looking to end that drought and win his first major is local hero Tommy Fleetwood.
The Ryder Cup player, who grew up close to Birkdale and used to sneak on to the course as a child, attracted huge galleries across the dusty course and battled to a one-under 69 to keep himself in contention.
Justin Rose endured a difficult day at the office though. The 45-year-old former U.S. Open champion burst on to the scene as a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birkdale in 1998, finishing fourth. But his hopes of finally winning the British Open were receding after an opening round 75.
High temperatures and a lack of rain have given Royal Birkdale a very different hue to its last appearance on the Open rota in 2017 when American Jordan Spieth won the Claret Jug.
Back then rain, wind and lush rough challenged the players but this time the course, re-modelled since its last Open, is tinged with brown with fairways running fast.
"This is not the Birkdale I've ever seen before," 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink said after a four-over 74.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman in Southport; Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)
