2010 British Open: McIlroy Shoots Record-Tying 63; Daly, Tiger In The Hunt Early

Could Northern Ireland make it two-for-two on the last two major golfing championships? A month after Northern Irish journeyman Graeme McDowell captured the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, his compatriot, wunkerkind Rory McIlroy, ripped off a historic 9-under 63 for the first round lead at the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews.

The 21-year old McIlroy is already the youngest PGA Tour winner since Tiger Woods after taking the Quail Hollow Championship in May with a scintillating final round 62, and if he can hold onto his lead at the British Open, he’d be even younger than Tiger Woods was when he won his first major title in dominating fashion at the 1997 Masters. In other words, we may be witnessing the coming out of the next big golfing star. McIlroy began his day at St. Andrews rather innocuously, sitting at 1-under through eight holes, before annihilating the next seven holes to the tune of 7-under, and finishing his tour de force round with a birdie on the 18th hole. McIlroy’s round of 63 matched a host of others as the best score ever in a round at the British Open.

For a few years now, Northern Irish wunderkind Rory McIlroy has been considered one of the “next big things” in golf. That’s what becoming the youngest player to win a PGA event since Tiger Woods -- especially after firing an unconscious final round 62 in the process, as he did at Quail Hollow -- will do. Now, McIlroy might be erasing the “next” from that moniker.

McIroy has set the pace at the 2010 British Open after shooting a 9-under 63 in the opening round at St. Andrews, equaling the mark for best score ever in a round at the British Open. McIlroy enjoys a three-shot lead over the resurgent John Day and Scot Andrew Coltart, who are tied for second at 6-under. Perhaps even more impressively, McIlroy began his day only 1-under through 8 holes, before putting together a scintillating stretch of golf that saw him play 7-under through 7 holes, recording an eagle, five birdies and a par over that stretch. McIlroy finished with a closing birdie on 18 to secure his historic round.

St. Andrews appears to be the perfect antidote to what was ailing Tiger Woods’ golf game. After struggling with his driving accuracy ever since returning to golf back in April at the Masters, Woods shot a 5-under 67 in the opening round of the 2010 British Open, good for a tie for fifth place. Still, Woods is four shots back of the blistering pace set by wunderkind Rory McIlroy.

Woods fired three birdies on both the front and back nines, with his only bogey on the day coming on the par-4 17th hole. The expansive fairways and relatively tranquil weather at the oft-times blustery ancient home of golf proved to be exactly what Woods needed after a series of less than impressive results the past few weeks leading up to the British Open.

Sometimes a course just suits a player. That certainly seems to be the case with John Daly and ancient St. Andrews. Daly, who came into the 2010 British Open ranked 455th in the world, shot a scintillating 6-under round of 66, to vault himself into a tie for second place, three shots behind Northern Irish phenom Rory McIlroy.

Daly’s round featured seven birdies and just a single bogey, with it coming late in the round on the 17th hole. With the conditions at St. Andrews uncommonly mild, Daly and the rest of the field were able to target the pins, with St. Andrews’ wide, generous fairways letting big hitters like Daly rip it with impunity.

Tiger Woods is breaking up with his old putter -- at least for the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews. According to Golf.com, Woods is trading in his reliable Scotty Cameron Newport putter for the week, which he has used since 1999, for a Nike Method 001 putter, to adapt to the slower greens at soggy St. Andrews.

Woods told reporters that he had “always struggled on slower greens, but that with the Method 001 putter, he “had not had to make too much of an adjustment because the ball is coming off the face a little quicker.” While Woods’ Method 001 putter was reportedly built to match the exact specifications of his Scotty Cameron one, Nike officials said that the new one has slightly less loft.

Set your alarm clocks or program your TiVos: the 2010 British Open is set to begin this Thursday with some tee times in the dead of night.

After a five-year hiatus, St. Andrews returns as the site of the British Open, which should be good news for noted golf enthusiast Tiger Woods. Indeed, of the three previous times Woods has etched his name on the Claret Jug, two of them came at the birthplace of golf, including a record 19-under in 2000 (which still stands as the all-time mark relative to par for not only the British Open but also for any major). Woods will begin his day on Thursday at 4:09 AM EDT, along with Justin Rose and Camilo Villegas, while Phil Mickelson looks to add his first British Open title when he tees off at 9:20 AM EDT, in a group that includes Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen.