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Utah’s Tony Finau off to a solid start at The Open Championship, in good shape to make the cut at the year’s final major

Published: July 18, 2024, 10:16 a.m. MDT

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Tony Finau chips onto the 17th green during his opening round of The Open Championships at Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Thursday, July 18, 2024. Finau shot an even-par 71. | AP

Jay has covered sports in Utah for more than 30 years and has been writing for the Deseret News since 2019.

Utah’s  put himself into good position to make the cut at the 152nd Open Championship early Thursday morning, firing an even-par 71 at Royal Troon Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Finau, a graduate of Salt Lake City’s West High School, was tied for 13th when he finished his opening round, with plenty of golfers still on the course.

A year after he missed the cut at the British Open at Royal Liverpool, the first time he had missed the cut in the tournament, Finau played a solid round with two birdies and two bogeys. The Utah native has , including a tie for third last month in the  in North Carolina.

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His best-ever finish at The Open Championship came in 2019, when he  behind Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood.

Finau struggled a little bit off the tee on Thursday — he was 129th in the field in driving accuracy when he left the course — but made up for it with some outstanding approach shots. He was 26th in hitting greens in regulation.

After starting his round with seven consecutive pars, he made a 14-footer for birdie on the par-3 eighth hole to get into red figures. But he missed a 5-footer for birdie on No. 9, which was playing as the third-hardest hole on the links course.

On the back nine, Finau made a bogey on No. 11 when he missed an 8-footer for par. He saved par on No. 13 with a 12-footer.

He went under par again with a birdie on the 565-yard par-5 16th, the easiest hole on course. His approach found a greenside bunker, but he “saved” the birdie with a 6-foot putt.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts as he walks from the 18th green following his opening round of The Open Championship at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, Thursday, July 18, 2024. McIlroy struggled during Thursday en route to carding a 7-over 78. | Scott Heppell, Associated Press

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However, he gave it back on the par-3 17th, missing the green with his tee shot. He avoided a double bogey by making an 8-footer to drop to even par.

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Dunk by Zach Edey

0:10

2-pointer by Hunter Tyson

0:09

3-pointer by Jordan Ford

0:13

Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers – Game Highlights

1:01

Hunter Tyson with 23 Points vs. Indiana Pacers

1:29

Dunk by Johnny Furphy

0:09

3-pointer by Tristen Newton

0:10

Block by PJ Hall

0:10

Big block by PJ Hall

0:22

2-pointer by Walter Ellis

Finau will start his second round at 7:26 a.m. MDT Friday with Russell Henley and Matthieu Pavon. Henley shot a 2-under 69 Thursday, while Pavon carded a 72.

The most newsworthy development early Thursday at The Open were the struggles faced by Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau,

McIlroy shot a 7-over 78 and DeChambeau, the reigning U.S. Open champion, shot a 76. The early leader was Justin Thomas of the United States, who made seven birdies and came in with a 68.