Maguire overcomes first tee nerves to fire 72 at The Open: "Today it was a struggle to get the ball on the tee"
Alex Maguire has been in exceptional form this year. Photo: David Lloyd / Golffile.
Amateur Alex Maguire overcame his first tee jitters and birdied two of his last four holes to open with a one-over 72 in The Open at Hoylake.
The Laytown and Bettystown star was tied 39th in the clubhouse, six strokes behind South African amateur Christo Lambrecht, the reigning Amateur champion who won the East of Ireland title in 2018 and warmed up for that by playing against Maguire and his Senior Cup teammates at the Co Meath venue.
As big hitter Lambrecht made seven birdies in a five-under 66 to lead by two strokes from former Open champion Stewart Cink, Maguire made three birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey six at the 14th.
"Definitely the most nervous I've ever been in my whole life," the reigning East of Ireland and St Andrews Links Trophy winner said, making birdies at the 15th and 18th for his 72.
"I've been under pressure situations before, like at the end of a match, but the first tee shot is usually okay for me. Today it was a struggle to get the ball on the tee.
"Once the ball sat on the tee, I felt okay. Me and my coach worked on committing to a tempo, a target, and wherever the ball goes, just follow it.
"In the past, I always sort of -- sort of swinging away from fear, so swinging away from a left miss. But yeah, just stood up on the first tee and hit it in the fairway."
HOYLAKE, ENGLAND - JULY 20: Amateur, Christo Lamprecht of South Africa tees off the 1st during Day One of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 20, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
The Mornington native bogeyed the second but birdied the fourth from 20 feet and got up and down from sand at the 204-yard sixth to turn in level par.
He bogeyed the 10th after finding rough off the tee, then double-bogeyed the tough 14th when he took on the corner with a driver and found sand.
Chip and putt birdies at the 15th and 18th repaired the damage caused at the 14th, but Maguire was not overly happy.
"I felt like I played a lot better than that," he said. "I hit it really well off the tee. I was in a lot of fairways. I hit a lot of greens, too, but I just made a mental mistake on 14, and I pulled out driver after a few good drivers on a hole where you can't hit driver.
"Hit it into a bunker and then had one bad swing from there, and that's costly because I felt like I was playing great the whole way around.
"Obviously, it was nice to finish up the way I did, birdieing the two par-5s on the way back and a great up-and-down on 17.
"Yeah, proud of myself for sticking in there and getting the round back close level par, but it stings a little bit with that tee shot on 14."
As for Lamprecht, one of his rivals for the silver medal awarded to the leading amateur, he was not surprised to see him play well.
"I actually met Christo years ago. He came over to Bettystown, and one of the members knew one of the head coaches," he said. "They brought the guys over, and we played a Senior Cup match with them.
"I played with Christo that day, and he drove the fifth green in Bettystown, which is like 350 or something.
"So I was very, very impressed by what he was doing there, and then obviously the last five or six years, he's become such an amazing player. And at the British Am, I loved to see him win.
"To be honest, it's no shock he's at the top of the leaderboard. He's so fearless. He hits the ball an absolute mile. I'm sure the bunkers that are sort of 310 or out of reach for him like he can sort of fly them.
"But yeah, we're in the locker room together, so whenever we see it's friendly. Sort of handshake and a hug and wished him the best of luck this morning. I think he's doing okay at the moment."
