WATCH: Johnson Wagner demonstrates how to navigate the 8th hole at Royal Troon after pros struggle on The Open Day 1
Johnson Wagner has shared some tips for the players after their struggle at the Open Championship, Round 1. In the post-match show, he played the 8th hole and shared some insights on dealing with the bunker.
The first day of the Open Championship at Royal Troon was a mixed bag for players. While the likes of Shane Lowry and Daniel Brown went quite low for the day, top names like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau seemed to be struggling with the windy conditions as well as the course setup.
On Thursday, July 18, during the Golf Channel's Golf Central Live, Johnson Wagner shared tips on how to navigate various lies around the green on the par 3, 8th at Royal Troon.
"I think the Jordan Spieth shot was pretty interesting," he said during the demonstration. "He had just seen Scheffler go in the bunker. He took a little bit less club, landed right here on the front of the green, and it just trickled back off.
"What's so cool about some of these bunkers out here on the postage stamp hole is that they're like little drains where the balls just collect and flow right on down into the back side of the bunker."
Johnson Wagner made some observations on Spieth's shot and stance before demonstrating a shot from the bunker himself. The shot execution was so accurate that it missed the hole by just the barest margin. During the session, he also talked about the performances of players like Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Patrick Cantlay in the first round of the Open Championship.
Here's the whole video:
Daniel Brown takes the early lead at The Open as top names struggle on Day 1
Englishman Daniel Brown was the surprise leader at the Open Championship after the first round. He took the one-shot lead after firing 6-under 65 on Thursday. While many top pros struggled at the Royal Troon, he went bogey-free for the day. Brown, ranked 272nd in the OWGR, is the lowest-ranked player to take the 18-hole lead at the Majors in eight years.
Shane Lowry shot 5-under-66 to sit in second place. The former Open champion has had a good season so far after a dip last year. Justin Thomas, who has been struggling for a while, started well with a 3-under 68. Seven players, including Alex Noren, Nicolai Højgaard, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Mackenzie Hughes, and Joseph Dean, shot 69 to tie for fourth.