Justin Thomas endured a difficult first round at the 151st Open to all-but seal a third missed cut in the Majors this year.
The two-time Major champion, who went home early at both The Masters and US Open this year, finished with a quadruple bogey nine on Thursday evening at Royal Liverpool after hitting his drive out of bounds and then taking two greenside bunker shots.
His opening 82 (+11) featured two birdies, five bogeys, two doubles and a quadruple. Incredibly, it's his second Major round in the 80s this year after an 81 in round two of the US Open and leaves him T154th on the leaderboard in the 156-man field.
Thomas described his 81 at the US Open last month as the "lowest I've felt" as he missed the cut by 12 shots at Los Angeles Country Club.
Thomas went from bunker to bunker on the 18th:
🏖️ ➡️ 🏖️ Bunker to Bunker for Justin Thomas. He would go on to make a 9 on the par-5 18th. Shoots a round of 82 (+11). #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/rVN82yaLzmJuly 20, 2023
This was for bogey. pic.twitter.com/ZbKm5qo0aSJuly 20, 2023
The former World No.1 has seen his world ranking slide down to 20th and his spot on the US Ryder Cup team could be in jeopardy.
The double PGA Championship winner has missed four cuts since April and recorded a best finish of 4th on the PGA Tour this year at the WM Phoenix Open.
His last victory came at Southern Hills in the PGA Championship last May, where he edged out Will Zalatoris in a playoff to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time.
Thomas is playing in his seventh Open this week, with his best finish of T11 coming in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
