Carnoustie is one of the most challenging courses in Scotland, let alone the world. That explains why so many colloquially call it “Carnasty,” as this links course can unleash a hellish experience on any player on any given day.
Ask anyone who has competed at an Open Championship at Carnoustie, which has hosted golf’s oldest major eight times.
But many top players return to this course every year for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the famed DP World Tour pro-am that takes place across Carnoustie, the Old Course at St. Andrews, and Kingsbarns in Scotland. Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, and Billy Horschel are in this year’s field. As are LIV Golf stalwarts Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm, the latter of whom got off to a roaring start at Carnoustie on Thursday.
Fresh off a tough loss to Angel Hidalgo in the Spanish Open in Madrid, Rahm fired a 7-under 65 at Carnoustie, which matched the lowest score recorded there on Thursday. He gained tremendous ground on the rest of the field, even though he still trails by four to 49-year-old South African Darren Fichardt, who shot a 61 at Kingsbarns, after day one. But a sub-70 score at Carnoustie is cause for celebration, regardless of the conditions. Most players will struggle on this course, which winds its way around the famous Barry Burn. Yes, Rahm’s 65 is that more impressive.
And yet, Rahm played well for two reasons: a hot putter and unorthodox advice he received from fellow LIV golfer Tyrrell Hatton, who has won the Dunhill Links twice. Funny enough, Hatton also fired a 65 at Carnoustie on Thursday.
“In the words of Tyrrell, just hit driver over every bunker into the rough and lob-wedge into the green,” Rahm explained.
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“That’s basically what I did—missed it in all the right spots. My first fairway on the front nine was the 17th, and I was 3-under, right? It’s a bit of what you can do when it’s not an Open Championship setup. The rough is a little bit lower so you can be aggressive and have short irons into the greens, and that’s what I did today.”
Ironically, the only bogey on Rahm’s card came at the par-4 17th, where he found his first fairway of the day. He then salvaged that mistake with a birdie at the last, the par-4 18th, the hole where Jean Van de Velde made the most famous triple bogey in golf history at the 1999 Open Championship.
Rahm then made four more birdies on the front nine, his second nine of the day.
“On the front nine, it was better off the tee,” Rahm said.
“I found myself in the fairway for the most part and was able to be aggressive.”
Of course, the flat stick must cooperate to post a good score on the famous Carnoustie Links.
“My putting was really good today. I hit it well. Felt comfortable out there,” Rahm said.
“But the amount of putts I made from 15 to 20 feet is more than the average today. That’s what it takes on a golf course like Carnoustie to post a score. Hopefully, I can keep playing like this for the next few days.”
Should he continue to play like he did on Thursday at St. Andrews and Kingsbarns, Rahm may run away and hide. He has the most challenging course out of the way, and now it’s all downhill from here on out.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
