ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – David Lingmerth tied the best nine-hole score ever posted during an Open at St. Andrews on Thursday.
He was 11 shots worse coming home.
The Memorial champion made an auspicious debut at the year’s third major, going out in 7-under 29 in benign conditions to tie Tony Jacklin’s mark, grab a three-shot lead and sound the alarms that the major-championship record of 63 was in jeopardy.
He didn’t even come close.
Playing into a freshening wind, Lingmerth bogeyed the 11th, 14th and 15th holes, then had to blast out sideways out of the Road Hole bunker on his way to a double bogey.