ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Ryan Brehm made an impressive debut at the Dunhill Links Championship, shooting a 63 on Kingsbarns — the only course he hadn’t played during practice — to share the early lead.
Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and a Ryder Cup quartet of stars played on fumes but still performed admirably on Thursday. Another surprise from the opening round was Dustin Johnson, who posted a 64 at Carnoustie. The former world No. 1 was just one shot off the lead in his first return to this tournament in 13 years.
The pro-am format, played over three links courses — Scotland’s version of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am — provided just the right balance for the four Team Europe players. They transitioned from the high of beating the United States at Bethpage Black to pairing with celebrity amateurs like Bill Murray and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
At Carnoustie, Hatton and Robert MacIntyre shot 66, while Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick posted 67. All four received a rousing cheer to celebrate Europe’s fifth Ryder Cup road victory — a win made even sweeter given the hostile New York crowd and a late U.S. comeback that ultimately fell short.
“It was brilliant. I’ve never seen the first tee like this at the Dunhill before,” said MacIntyre, who hails from Oban on the west coast of Scotland. “This week I’m trying to enjoy myself, not be too stressed out or overly focused. Just taking the rough with the smooth. It was a decent start.”
Brehm, a big hitter from Michigan, claimed his lone PGA Tour victory three years ago at the Puerto Rico Open. He qualified for this event through a category reserved for five PGA Tour players who finished between 126 and 200 in last year’s FedEx Cup standings.
Arriving with his wife Chelsey, Brehm explored Kingsbarns upon landing and practiced at Carnoustie and St. Andrews. His seven birdies and an eagle at Kingsbarns earned him a share of the lead alongside Matthew Jordan (63 at St. Andrews) and Darius Van Driel (63 at Kingsbarns).
“This is my first time over here, and I was pretty much in awe on every fairway — and I hit a lot of fairways, which is kind of rare for me,” Brehm said.
Conditions were ideal on Thursday, although typical October Scottish weather, with rain and wind, was expected over the next few days. Brehm admits he isn’t sure what to expect from his game as he prepares to face the Old Course Friday, a tougher test especially in nasty weather.
“What’s interesting is I wish I didn’t play any of them now because this is the only one I didn’t play,” Brehm said, referring to Kingsbarns.
Johnson, one of 17 players from LIV Golf competing in the field, has been playing more on the Saudi league lately. He hadn’t competed at the Dunhill Links since 2012.
He played alongside his father-in-law, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who used to be his regular partner back in the Pebble Beach days. Johnson’s first-round score was nearly five strokes better than the average at Carnoustie.
“Generally haven’t played that well around here, so it’s nice to get a good score in,” Johnson said, recalling his missed cut at Carnoustie during the 2018 British Open when he was world No. 1.
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