With school out until September, parents across Canada are constantly trying to keep their kids entertained over the summer months. You can head to the public pool, or visit the local park…again. But why not try something new that both parents and children will enjoy?

Take a Kid to the Course Week, developed by the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, provides parents with the opportunity to introduce their children to the sport and play alongside each other. Forget the park where parents are often left watching their children from the bench, a trip to your local course is fun and healthy for everyone.

The hundreds of participating courses across the country not only offer free golf to children under 16 with a paid adult, but many courses will also provide additional programs such as junior clinics, free range balls, free junior club rentals, and parent/child tournaments for the duration of the week.

Take a Kid to the Course Week runs from July 7-13^th, 2014. For more information and a list of participating courses click here.

The PGA of Canada recently announced the launch of the PGA of Canada Trade-In Network.

The new national program enables golfers to trade-in their used golf clubs at any participating PGA of Canada Trade-In Network golf shop and apply the value of their trade-in towards the purchase of new golf equipment.

The program is closely based on a model which has proven very successful in the United States, where more than 12-million golfers to-date have tapped the value of their current used clubs in order to get into the latest technology at their local PGA Professional-staffed golf shop.

The PGA of Canada anticipates Canadian golfers will be equally as enthusiastic about stepping up to better equipment in the most economical way.

With the recent launch of the program, all PGA of Canada Professional-staffed golf shops now have the option to accept trade-ins towards new purchases. Most are just beginning to actively promote the new service to their members and customers.

As with all new consumer services, raising awareness is vital.

PGA of Canada Professional Lee Drydek, who has been actively promoting trade-ins at The Club at North Halton in Georgetown, Ont., has seen a very positive response to the trade-in opportunity from his customers.

“Everyone is aware they can trade-in their used cars and cell phones when it’s time for an upgrade, but they’re often surprised to hear they can do the same with their golf clubs,” Drydek says.

Drydek says that trading-up is the best way to stay current.

“Most of us wouldn’t consider hanging on to our cellphones for more than a couple years, yet many players have clubs in their bags that are several years behind in terms of their game-improvement technology,” he says. “An old cell phone will still make a call, but the new ones are so much easier to use and more powerful. It’s much the same with golf clubs. Trading-up is a great way for golfers of all skill levels to get into new equipment that will improve their performance, and by extension, their enjoyment of the game.”

The process of trading-up is made to be simple. Golfers can visit the PGA of Canada’s Trade-In Network website (http://tradein.pgaofcanada.com) to look up the trade-in value of their used clubs, print a trade-in estimate, and go to their local participating PGA of Canada Trade-In Network golf shop to receive a credit towards a new purchase. If no participating golf shop is nearby, golfers can contact the PGA of Canada Trade-In Network and they will facilitate the shipment of your trade-ins for direct payment.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is proud to announce the names of the athletes set to represent Canada in the Youth Olympic Games, taking place in Nanjing, China from August 16 – 28, 2014.

Representing Canadian golf will be Team Canada Development Squad member Tony Gil, 16, of Vaughan, Ont. and Maddie Szeryk, 17, of Allen, Tex.

Gil and Szeryk will be accompanied to Nanjing by Robert Ratcliffe, lead coach with Team Canada’s Development Squad. Ratcliffe has international playing and coaching experience and has worked with Golf Canada’s National Team program since 2007.

“It is very exciting to announce Tony Gil and Maddie Szeryk as the first Canadians ever selected to represent Canadian golf at the Youth Olympic Games,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Both of these talented competitors are eager to succeed in representing Canada on the international stage as we prepare for golf’s inclusion in major international multi-sport events such as the Youth Olympics, 2015 Pan Am Games and the 2016 Olympic Games.”

The inclusion of golf in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games marks the first time the sport has been included in this particular event, and the first time golf has been included in an Olympic event since 1904 when George Lyon brought the gold medal home to Canada. Golf will return to the Summer Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tony Gil
2014 marks Gil’s first year representing Team Canada as a member of Golf Canada’s Development Squad. Prior to joining the National Team, Gil was a member of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Under-17 Provincial Squad He finished tied for 12^th at the 2013 Ontario Amateur Championship and 5^th at the 2013 Ontario Junior Boys Championship. Since joining Team Canada, Gil continues to post strong results, including wins at the CJGA International Junior Challenge and the GAO Investors Group Junior Spring Classic. He also recorded a 6^th place finish at the prestigious South American Amateur and is coming off of a memorable experience at the Toyota World Junior where he finished tied for 37^th.

Maddie Szeryk
Szeryk, a GAO public player, made her mark in 2013 with three junior championship victories. Most notably, Szeryk won the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls Championship by an impressive 14 strokes. She also claimed victory at the 2013 CN Future Links Ontario Championship and the CJGA/AJGA Junior Championship. Szeryk, a dual-citizen with family ties to Ontario and Texas, recently secured her Canadian citizenship. Her 2014 results include appearances in both the USGA Junior Girls Championship and the North Texas LPGA Shootout. In addition, she won the 2014 AJGA Thunderbird International Junior in a playoff and finished third at the AJGA Under Armour/Hunter Mahan Championship.

HOYLAKE, England  — Mark O’Meara has withdrawn from the British Open because of an ailing elbow.

O’Meara won The Open in 1998 at Royal Birkdale to become the first player since Ben Hogan to win two majors in one year in his 40s. He also won the Masters.

His agent, Peter Malik, said in an email that O’Meara’s elbow has been hurting on and off since the Masters in April. He had another MRI last week and doctors recommended rest. O’Meara decided instead to play the U.S. Senior Open this week at Oak Tree in Oklahoma.

O’Meara was concerned that the firm turf of a links course at Royal Liverpool could do more damage.

He was replaced in the field by Ross Fisher. Canada’s David Hearn now becomes the first alternate.

EDMOND, Okla. – Colin Montgomerie declared Bernhard Langer the favorite heading into the U.S. Senior Open.

After 18 holes, Montgomerie may well have seized that position himself with a 6-under 65 to lead at the end of Thursday at Oak Tree National.

The Scotsman started on No. 10 and birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 on the way to a 33 on the back nine. He birdied six, seven and eight to finish strong in oppressive heat and humidity.

“That was the key to the round, the three birdies in a row on the front nine, my back nine,” Montgomerie said. “To birdie six, seven, eight was good. That got me to the position I am now.”

Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Langer was one of five golfers tied for fourth with a 69.

Dawson, in his first Senior Open, started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine. The 50-year-old said it was one of the two best rounds he’s played in his six Champions Tour events. He was pleased with the performance, especially considering the course’s challenging reputation.

“It just seemed to happen, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under,” he said. “I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round.”

Brooks birdied the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to go 4 under on his first five holes. He shot 3 under on the back nine and even on the front nine.

“I’ve been playing here since high school,” he said. “I’m comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me.”

Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers.

“They say you don’t win a tournament on the first day,” Langer said. “You can certainly lose it with a bad round, so, you know, I’m somewhere in the top 10 or top 20 after today, which is a good spot to be. Still have three rounds to go.”

Kenny Perry, last year’s Senior Open winner, shot a 75.

Mother Nature was a factor for various reasons.

Play was delayed for 77 minutes at the start due to the threat of lightning, and play was suspended because of darkness at 8:54 p.m. CDT, with three players still on the course.

Wilting 90-plus degree heat with humidity hit in the afternoon. Darrell Kestner completed 14 holes Thursday before withdrawing and being treated for a heat-related issue.

Peter Jacobsen, who withdrew from last year’s Senior Open in Omaha after nine holes because of dehydration, made it through the opening day in Edmond. He shot a 1-under 70, then held a sports drink as he answered questions.

“I learned a really good lesson,” he said. “My doctor told me, `Don’t ever get dehydrated because it’s very debilitating on your body.’ I walk around with water and Gatorade and lot of liquid, especially here when we know it’s going to be humid and hot.”

Heavy rains Wednesday softened the course, but the heat Thursday made it hard later in the day. Changing winds added another degree of difficulty to an already long, tough course.

“It is kind of difficult to judge the wind out here,” Montgomerie said. “You’re always going to get breeze out here in Oklahoma. That’s part of the test out here.”

Weather is expected to remain a factor through the rest of the tournament, with temperatures expected to soar. Montgomerie said it will amount to a physical examination.

“It’s going to be grueling over the next three days,” he said. “Concentration levels will be difficult to maintain for everybody out there, not just myself. I look forward to the challenge of trying to compete against the rest of the field, the golf course, which is superb, and also the weather conditions, which are very foreign to myself and most competitors, to be honest. We don’t usually play in 100 degrees. It’s going to be interesting over the next three days.”

The lone Canadian in the field is Rod Spittle, who opened with an up-and-down even-par 71 that included four birdies and four bogeys. He’s six shots back of the lead, tied for 18th.

SILVIS, Ill. – Jordan Spieth felt great Thursday on the first tee of the John Deere Classic. He heard not only his name, but, for the first time, the phrase “defending champion.”

A par followed. Then another, and another after that. And then a bogey.

The playoff winner from 2013 was suddenly reeling.

“It was a struggle,” Spieth said of the round, an even-par 71 he salvaged with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. “I need to go find something on the range because I just wasn’t comfortable over the ball today.”

Spieth was eight strokes behind Zach Johnson, Rory Sabbatini and Brian Harman, whose 8-under-par 63s shared the lead after the opening round.

Then again, Spieth was six strokes behind the leaders entering last year’s final round, and rallied to win, beating Johnson and David Hearn in a sudden-death playoff.

“It’s going to take some incredible golf,” said Spieth, sixth on the PGA Tour money list. “But I’m putting well, so when I find my swing, I can maybe take it deep.”

That’s where the leaders were.

Johnson and Sabbatini played bogey-free golf, while Harman had nine birdies and one bogey on the par-71 TPC Deere Run – even though his regular caddie had to drop out.

They led 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton, Australian Steven Bowditch and William McGirt, the best afternoon finisher, by a stroke. Brendon de Jonge, Kevin Tway, David Toms and Robert Streb are two back at 6-under 65.

Harman, who bettered his best round of the year by two strokes, was 2 under through six holes when his caddie, Scott Tway, took ill. Jay Hatch of Davenport, Iowa, a high school basketball coach, volunteered from the gallery, and carried Harman’s bag the last 12 holes, which Harman played in 6 under.

Harman didn’t miss a beat when his caddie took ill.

“I called a medic over and Scottie said he was going to have to sit out at least a couple holes,” Harman said. “Jay was standing there and said, `I’ll do it. I’ll keep up.’ ”

Checking his own yardages, Harman birdied seven of his last 12 holes, and nine overall.

“If you go out and birdie half of the golf course, you feel you’ve done fairly well,” Harman said.

Johnson, who won the Deere in 2012, birdied four of his first five holes and was 6 under on his opening nine. He won the Tournament of Champions in January, but described his recent golf as “going through the motions too much.” He hasn’t finished in the top 10 since a tie for sixth in the Texas Open in March.

“I was a little spent,” Johnson explained. “I played too much and I was anxious for results. I got ahead of myself.”

His start on familiar territory was a return to form, an early birdie binge including a 22-footer on the par-3 12th and a 32-footer on the par-4 14th. At 8-under through 11 holes, the vision of a 59 crept into his thoughts.

“Very briefly,” Johnson said. “If you’re going to do it, you still have to hit it solid. Maybe I mis-clubbed on 6, but I could have birdied 8. I hit only one really bad shot, and that was the second shot at 9.”

Johnson parred his last seven holes.

“I’d rather have 59 wins than shoot 59,” Johnson said.

Sabbatini scored his best round of the year, closing with birdies on three of the last four holes.

Birdies are a must at Deere Run. Through 18 holes, 80 players were under par and another 20, including amateur Jordan Niebrugge, at even-par 71.

Hamilton’s 64 came in his first round of the season on the PGA Tour. Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, the 48-year-old native of nearby Galesburg, Illinois, has been on the Web.com Tour in recent years.

Bowditch was 8 under after a birdie at the 17th, but bogeyed the 18th. McGirt birdied the first three holes on the back nine to jump into contention and parred the last four.

Three-time Deere winner Steve Stricker fired a 68, with six birdies and three bogeys.

Sabbatini, whose best finish this season is a tie for eighth at the Wells Fargo Classic, closed strongly on the hilly Deere Run layout.

“I like this course and how it plays,” Sabbatini said. “It’s fun for spectators because there are a lot of fireworks, and fun for us players, too. This golf course requires the basics: hit the fairway, hit the green, make some putts.”

Four of Sabbatini’s eight birdies were from 17 feet or longer, the longest a 22-footer on No. 4. He ran in birdies on the second, third and fourth holes of his back nine, and another on his 16th, the par-3 seventh.

Hamilton, a decade removed from his British Open victory at Royal Troon, birdied his first two holes and was off on an improbable round of 64.

“I haven’t been playing well,” Hamilton said. “It seems if I play well, I shoot 71 or 70. Everyone else when they play well, they shoot 65 or 64. It’s a big discrepancy.”

Two Canadians are in the field this week. Brad Fitsch opened with a 1-under 70, while David Hearn was a shot back at even-par.

Ste-Victoire-de-Sorel, Qué. (Golf Canada)– After three exciting rounds at Club de golf Continental, CN Future Links Québec Champion titles have been claimed by Thornhill, Ont.’s Kelvin Lim and Alyssa Getty of Ruthven, Ont.

Excitement mounted in the third round when 12-year-old Lim and Raphaël Lapierre-Messier, 17, of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué. battled for first place in a sudden death playoff. Lim was the eventual champion, making a birdie on the first playoff hole, to finish with 1-over-par 217 after rounds of 70-74-73. This win earns Lim an exemption into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship taking place at the end of July at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont.

“It feels great to get the exemption,” said Lim after Thursday’s win. “I’m only twelve years old, so it’s exciting to be able to compete in that championship.”

Third place was shared by 16-year-old Brendon Lacasse of Châteauguay, Qué. and Brandon Seys of Port Lambton, Ont. The pair finished the championship at 5-over-par 221.

In the Junior Girls division, 17-year old Getty maintained a steady lead over her competitors during the three rounds of play, shooting an even-par 72 in Thursday’s final round for a final score of 5-over-221. Her nearest competitor, 13-year old Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile-Perrot, Qué. finished 11 strokes behind with a final score of 16-over-232. Third place was claimed by Diana McDonald, 16, of Kingston, Ont. who carded a final round 78 to finish at 20-over-par 236. With this win, Getty will compete in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at the end of the month at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

“The wind was pretty strong yesterday, and I noticed that there’s a lot of wind on this course in general,” said Getty. “The fairways are really narrow, so that was the hardest part. But I’m super excited to win this tournament and get the exemption.”

Notable highlights from this week’s tournament include hole-in-ones by Gabriel Gingras, 17, of Chelsea, Qué. and Emilie Tyndall, 17, of Kirkland, Qué. Gingras aced the 145-yard eighth hole in the first round, while Tyndall fired an ace in the second round on the 160-yard Hole No. 13.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 on the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

Alyssa Getty (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)

SOUTHPORT, England – Paul Azinger said Thursday that a quest by Tiger Woods to make his swing better has backfired on him.

Woods has gone through four swing changes with three coaches during his career, each time saying the objective was to get better.

In a conference call for ESPN, Azinger said that in his quest to get better, “I think he’s actually gotten a little bit worse.”

Azinger is a former PGA champion and Ryder Cup captain – and a partner with Woods in one Ryder Cup – who now works as an analyst for ESPN. He will be in the booth next week at the British Open, where Woods is playing a major for the first time this year because of back surgery.

Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since the 2008 U.S. Open. The question on the ESPN call was whether the swing or injuries would be the greater factor if Woods does not catch Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors.

“I think one of the big differences that’s very rarely articulated is the fact that while Tiger in his dominance always – for whatever reason – was in this quest to get better, I don’t remember Jack ever saying that,” Azinger said.

“Jack might have made some tweaks and twerks here and there … but Tiger has made astronomical changes in a quest to get better. And as a result, Tiger has actually got a little bit worse. I think we can all pretty much see that.”

Azinger said several golfers have made a mistake changing the swing, but that Nicklaus was not one of them.

“Jack understood that if he could stay the same, he would still dominate,” he said. “Tiger didn’t need to get better. He just didn’t need to get worse. He needed to stay the same and he could still dominate, and in his quest to get better, it’s kind of backfired on him.”

Azinger also questioned why Woods would entrust his swing to two coaches who never competed at a high level.

Woods was with Butch Harmon, who played briefly on the PGA Tour, before turning pro and during his most dominant days in golf from 1996 through 2003. Woods overhauled his swing with Hank Haney and had a two-year stretch when he won 18 times in 34 tournaments, including four majors. He switched to Sean Foley in 2011.

Azinger said that Woods has remained successful is a testament to his greatness as a player.

“I think he’s the only guy who has dramatically changed the way his swing looks and has still been able to play at an extremely high level,” Azinger said.

“When he went from Butch to Hank, even a lay golfer could tell that Tiger’s swing had changed, and he won five or six major doing that. … I don’t know of anybody who’s changed the way they look more than Tiger Woods with respect to his golf swing and still played great. Most people just go away. They disappear trying to do what he’s done.

“It just is a real example of what a great player he has been.”

Azinger just doesn’t understand why Woods changed so much. He suggested reasons as boredom or because of four surgeries on his left knee.

“He may look back and have regrets,” Azinger said. “I know that he’s only worked with one guy that’s played golf at a really high level, and that’s Butch Harmon. And for him to just turn it all over to two guys that have never played on a high level is a bit of a mystery considering how great Tiger was when he did it. I’m not trying to be harsh, I’m just trying to be … I guess it’s more blunt than harsh.”

Azinger has been open with his opinions about Woods in the past. He said at the Masters this year that a difference between Nicklaus and Woods is that players no longer want to copy Woods’ swing. He later that Woods used to be an artistic golfer who now is trying to become an engineer.

Woods missed the cut at Congressional three weeks ago in his return from back surgery. His next tournament is the British Open, which starts Thursday at Royal Liverpool.

“I hope he plays great,” Azinger said. “I mean, I hope he’s recovered from injury. Sometimes you make these changes and it creates injury, as well.”

SOUTHPORT, England – Paul Azinger said Thursday that a quest by Tiger Woods to make his swing better has backfired on him.

Woods has gone through four swing changes with three coaches during his career, each time saying the objective was to get better.

In a conference call for ESPN, Azinger said that in his quest to get better, “I think he’s actually gotten a little bit worse.”

Azinger is a former PGA champion and Ryder Cup captain – and a partner with Woods in one Ryder Cup – who now works as an analyst for ESPN. He will be in the booth next week at the British Open, where Woods is playing a major for the first time this year because of back surgery.

Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since the 2008 U.S. Open. The question on the ESPN call was whether the swing or injuries would be the greater factor if Woods does not catch Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors.

“I think one of the big differences that’s very rarely articulated is the fact that while Tiger in his dominance always – for whatever reason – was in this quest to get better, I don’t remember Jack ever saying that,” Azinger said.

“Jack might have made some tweaks and twerks here and there … but Tiger has made astronomical changes in a quest to get better. And as a result, Tiger has actually got a little bit worse. I think we can all pretty much see that.”

Azinger said several golfers have made a mistake changing the swing, but that Nicklaus was not one of them.

“Jack understood that if he could stay the same, he would still dominate,” he said. “Tiger didn’t need to get better. He just didn’t need to get worse. He needed to stay the same and he could still dominate, and in his quest to get better, it’s kind of backfired on him.”

Azinger also questioned why Woods would entrust his swing to two coaches who never competed at a high level.

Woods was with Butch Harmon, who played briefly on the PGA Tour, before turning pro and during his most dominant days in golf from 1996 through 2003. Woods overhauled his swing with Hank Haney and had a two-year stretch when he won 18 times in 34 tournaments, including four majors. He switched to Sean Foley in 2011.

Azinger said that Woods has remained successful is a testament to his greatness as a player.

“I think he’s the only guy who has dramatically changed the way his swing looks and has still been able to play at an extremely high level,” Azinger said.

“When he went from Butch to Hank, even a lay golfer could tell that Tiger’s swing had changed, and he won five or six major doing that. … I don’t know of anybody who’s changed the way they look more than Tiger Woods with respect to his golf swing and still played great. Most people just go away. They disappear trying to do what he’s done.

“It just is a real example of what a great player he has been.”

Azinger just doesn’t understand why Woods changed so much. He suggested reasons as boredom or because of four surgeries on his left knee.

“He may look back and have regrets,” Azinger said. “I know that he’s only worked with one guy that’s played golf at a really high level, and that’s Butch Harmon. And for him to just turn it all over to two guys that have never played on a high level is a bit of a mystery considering how great Tiger was when he did it. I’m not trying to be harsh, I’m just trying to be … I guess it’s more blunt than harsh.”

Azinger has been open with his opinions about Woods in the past. He said at the Masters this year that a difference between Nicklaus and Woods is that players no longer want to copy Woods’ swing. He later that Woods used to be an artistic golfer who now is trying to become an engineer.

Woods missed the cut at Congressional three weeks ago in his return from back surgery. His next tournament is the British Open, which starts Thursday at Royal Liverpool.

“I hope he plays great,” Azinger said. “I mean, I hope he’s recovered from injury. Sometimes you make these changes and it creates injury, as well.”

ABERDEEN, Scotland – Three years after virtually giving up on links golf, a more mature Rory McIlroy appears ready to give it another chance.

McIlroy tamed blustery conditions on day one of the Scottish Open to shoot a 7-under 64 on Thursday, giving him a one-stroke lead and showing his links game is in great shape ahead of next week’s British Open at Hoylake.

“I feel I am as prepared as I have ever been to play this type of golf,” a smiling McIlroy said after rolling in eight birdies – six of which came in a stunning seven-hole spell from Nos. 8-14 at Royal Aberdeen.

How things have changed from 2011.

At a wet and wild British Open at Royal St. George’s that year, a frustrated McIlroy opened his heart, saying he wasn’t a fan of tournaments where the “outcome is predicted so much by the weather” and that “there’s no point in changing your game for one week a year.”

Coming from someone who grew up playing on the links in his native Northern Ireland, it was a strange outburst. That seems to be in the past now.

“I’m going to make it my favorite style for two weeks a year,” said McIlroy, adding he was “relishing the challenge” of playing in the wind and rain.

Unheralded Swede Kristoffer Broberg – who went out in the first group at 6:30 a.m. local time – and Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina shot 65s to lie one shot behind McIlroy.

Michael Hoey, a compatriot of McIlroy, was a stroke further back after a 5-under 66, and former world No. 1 Luke Donald was among four players to shoot 67. Phil Mickelson missed a 3-foot par putt at the final hole for his only bogey in a 68, a solid start by the American to the defense of his title.

McIlroy’s course-record round stood out, though. Refreshed after a two-week break that included a five-day trip to the Spanish island of Ibiza with friends, the two-time major winner looked back to his sharpest.

He showed a good feel on the greens, especially in that barrage of birdies around the turn, and drove straight and long in the face of winds of up to 20 mph (30 kph). One of the highlights of his round was driving the green on the 436-yard 13th hole while the group ahead was on the putting surface.

“I didn’t really think that was out there,” American golfer Rickie Fowler said of McIlroy’s score.

Ominously for his British Open rivals, McIlroy said he felt completely at one with his game, the “polar opposite” to this time last year when he was “not very confident with anything.”

“Everything was pretty much on,” he said. “In the conditions, this is as low as I have ever been.”

McIlroy has had problems backing up good opening rounds this season, so there is still hope for the rest of the field in northern Scotland.

Up at 4 a.m. local time, Broberg showed the kind of form that won him four events on the second-tier Challenge Tour in 2012, earned him his tour card, and marked him as a star of the future.

Five of his six birdies came from Nos. 6-12 and Broberg had just 24 putts in his round, putting him in contention to claim one of the four qualifying berths for the British Open that are available at Royal Aberdeen for non-exempt players finishing in the top 10.

Gonzalez made light work of a front nine playing into the wind, and was 8 under par after an eagle 3 at No. 12. Two bogeys at the end saw him drop off the lead.

Mickelson’s round was typically eventful. A chip to 10 feet from a cart path at No. 13 was his shot of the day, while the British Open champion avoided a penalty on the 10th when his ball moved on his backswing for his second shot. A sharp gust of wind was to blame.

Lee Westwood recovered from dropping five shots in his first five holes to post a 72, and six-time major winner Nick Faldo, playing his first regular European Tour event since 2010, had a 2-over 73 as he gets ready for a return to the British Open.

Tom Lewis made a hole in one on the par-3 No. 17 on his way to a 70.