Pro makes 10 after pot-bunker disaster at Open Championship

HOYLAKE, England — Taichi Kho made his main debut at this week’s Open Championshipand whereas it began shaky, the previous Notre Dame golfer turned issues round on his again 9. He even made his first birdie on 17 — however catastrophe was ready on 18.

Kho shot 43 on the entrance 9 on Thursday at Royal Liverpoolhowever he made all pars on Nos. 10-16. He even birdied the controversial par-3 17throlling in a 27-footer for his first pink variety of the day.

The internal out of bounds on the par-5 18th has precipitated complications for some professionals this week — Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler included — however Kho averted that by piping a drive 313 yards down the golf green. He averted the interior O.B. on his second shot, too, however as an alternative discovered a pot bunker guarding the inexperienced.

Video of Kho’s subsequent a number of pictures just isn’t out there, however in line with The Open’s shot tracker, issues turned grim. He was solely 9 yards away from the outlet, however his rating rapidly spiraled to a ten.

There’s three pot bunkers that guard the front-left a part of the 18th inexperienced, and Kho’s second shot discovered the far left one. He couldn’t get out together with his first two makes an attempt, and his fifth shot went to the native space within the back-left nook of the inexperienced, 19 yards away from the outlet. It was doubtless a choice by Kho to take his drugs and simply escape the bunker.

However that didn’t do the trick, both. His sixth shot went into the identical pot bunker, and his subsequent went again out to the native space. From there — he was up towards the grandstand and was awarded a free drop — he pitched onto the inexperienced and two-putted from 9 ft.

It was a tough ending for the 22-year-old Kho, who signed for a 12-over 83 after ending 5 strokes over par on the 18th gap alone. In equity, the pot bunkers at Royal Liverpool have troubled many pros this weekso he wasn’t alone.

A few hours after Kho performed the 18th, two-time main champ Justin Thomas discovered the identical trio of bunkers. He had comparable points and made 9.

“It’s essentially the most well-bunkered golf course that we play,” Shane Lowry stated Thursday. “They’re all over the place — they usually’re very penal.”

Kho picked up his first win earlier this 12 months, claiming the Asian Tour’s World Metropolis Championship in March. His second spherical begins at 7:08 a.m. native on Friday.

Right here’s hoping he will get revenge on 18.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

Josh Berhow is the managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism diploma from Minnesota State College in Mankato. You may attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.