First hole proves a stumbling block for early groups at British Open

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Jordan Spieth plays out of a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale.

(Peter Morrison / Associated Press)

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Branden Grace after completing the 18th hole in the third round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale on July 22. Grace shot a 62.

(Andy Rain / EPA)

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Brooks Koepka plays out of a bunker on the 7th green during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Alastair Grant / AP)

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Rory McIlroy reacts to a missed putt during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Dave Thompson / Associated Press)

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Matt Kuchar misses a birdie putt on the 18th during the third round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Gerry Penny / EPA)

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Matt Kuchar is mobbed by fans as he makes his way to the next hole during the third round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Andy Rain / EPA)

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Jordan Spieth of the United States smiles in the rain during the third round of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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England’s Ian Poulter looks on from the 14th tee box during the third round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Dave Thompson / Associated Press)

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Jordan Spieth plays out of a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Peter Morrison / Associated Press)

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Gary Woodland takes a shot out of the rough on the 10th hole during the third round of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar walk to the 14th green during the third round of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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Brooks Koepka plays out of a bunker on the 7th green during the third round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale on July 22.

(Alastair Grant / Associated Press)

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China’s Li Haotong fails to get out of a bunker on the 12th hole during his second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Oli Scarff / AFP/Getty Images)

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Matt Kuchar hits his second shot on the 3rd hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

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Rules officials help remove a signpost to allow Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland to play on the 15th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Dustin Johnson plays from the rough on the 8th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland chips onto the green during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Gerry Penny / EPA)

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Spectators watch play on the 10th green as conditions deteriorate during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Oli Scarff / AFP/Getty Images)

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Australia’s Jason Day, left, and Zach Johnson on the 2nd green during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Andy Buchanan / AFP/Getty Images)

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South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel looks for his ball in the rough on the 5th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Peter Morrison / Associated Press)

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the 14th tee during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Haotong Li of China hits a bunker shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland chips onto the 11th green during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Rickie Fowler hits his tee shot on the 9th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

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Dustin Johnson hits his tee shot on the 5th hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Sergio Garcia of Spain walks on the 1st hole during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Joost Luiten of the Netherlands falls back into a bunker after missing a putt on the 8th green during the second round of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale.

(Alastair Grant / Associated Press)

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Padraig Harrington of Ireland acknowledges the crowd on the 18th hole during the first round of the 146th British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Si Woo Kim of Korea putts on the 12th hole during the first round of the championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Jordan Spieth hits a bunker shot on the 15th hole at Royal Birkdale.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Matthew Fitzpatrick of England lines up his putt on the 18th green on Thursday.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Brooks Koepka of the U.S. holes his third shot from the bunker on the 17th hole.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Jordan Spieth reacts after his approach from the rough on the 5th hole during the first round.

(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

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Tommy Fleetwood of England plays from a bunker on Thursday.

(Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

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Ian Poulter of England plays his third shot on the 17th hole.

(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)

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France’s Alexander Levy plays his approach shot from the 3rd fairway.

(Andy Buchanan / AFP/Getty Images)

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Spectators get a view of the 9th hole at Royal Birkdale.

(Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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David Horsey of England hits his second shot on the 2nd hole during the first round of the British Open.

(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

By Sam Farmer

Staff Writer

July 20, 2017 6:25 AM PT

Reporting from Southport, England —

Mark O’Meara, who won the British Open here in 1998, was in the first group of the day, teeing off in the drizzle at a brisk 6:35 a.m., and had the honor of hitting the first ball of the day.

He should have stayed in bed.

“My day was toast after the first tee shot,” he said.

O’Meara sliced his opening drive out of bounds.

“I was not pleased when I hit that shot,” he said. “I don’t think anybody would be. My name is on my golf bag, I’ve won the Open Championship, I’m in the Hall of Fame — when you hit one straight right off the first tee out of bounds, it would be like standing on the first tee on the Ballybunion and hitting the graveyard.”

He yanked his do-over into a bunker on the left side.

By the time he finished the 422-yard hole he had an 8 — twice par.

In fairness, the first hole at Birkdale is pretty demanding and has been set up as the second-hardest hole on the course in the past two Opens here. Still, it was a stumbling start for O’Meara, 60, who shot a 43 on the front before recovering with a 38 on the back for an 81.

“At one point I felt like I was going to shoot 90 out there,” he said. “I shot 81, so be it. It’s not like I haven’t shot 81 in my life. I don’t care if you’re 30, 40, 50, 60, whatever age you are, once again, you really play a lot for your pride, too. And I’m not very proud of what I accomplished out there today. I should have played better. I expect better.”

He wasn’t alone with his early-morning struggles. At least one player in the first four groups double-bogeyed the first hole, and Stanford’s Maverick McNealy, the world’s No. 2 amateur, took a 7.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

Follow Sam Farmer on Twitter @LATimesfarmer

First hole proves a stumbling block for early groups at British Open

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