Things could not have started much worse for Justin Thomas in Liverpool.
During the former world No. 1’s first round at the British Open on Thursday, he tried to chip a shot over one of Hoylake’s trademark pot bunkers but failed miserably — hitting the ball directly into the bunker and dooming his first round.
The two-time American PGA champion finished 11 shots over par after his abysmal first round, tied for 154th at the tournament with a score of 82.
It is the second consecutive round at a major championship in which Thomas has crumbled: he shot an 81 during his last round at the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut.
“It’s definitely the lowest I’ve felt. It’s pretty honestly humiliating and embarrassing shooting scores like that. At a golf course I really, really liked. I thought it was set up very well,” Thomas said after his disastrous showing in California.
“It’s a funny game, man. It can leave you speechless, both in good and bad, and right now it’s unfortunately bad. Once I’m able to kind of reflect and figure out what I can learn and get better from, you know, it’ll end up good. But it sucks right now.”
The links-style course has provided its fair share of challenges for the world’s best golfers: Rickie Fowler carded an eight on the 18th hole and Lucas Herbert blew a chance at the lead after hitting a triple-bogey on hole No. 17.
Christo Lamprecht, Tommy Fleetwood and Emiliano Grillo are tied for the lead as the first round wraps up in Liverpool, as the three of them are shooting five under par.
It has been a difficult season for Thomas, 30, who has 15 career wins on the PGA Tour.
The best outing at a major from the former University of Alabama golfer last came in 2022 when he won the PGA Championship in May.