Emma Talley ran into trouble three times in the first round of the AIG Women’s Open on the old course at Royal Troon.
A triple bogey and a pair of double bogeys have Talley needing to do some work in the second round to make the cut for this weekend.
Talley carded a 6-over-par round of 77 on Thursday in Scotland. Talley made three birdies on the back nine, but doubled No. 9, then tripled No. 12 and doubled 16.
Her birdies came on Nos. 11, 14 and 17.
The projected cut line is at 4-over.
On a gusty day at Royal Troon, which hugs the Firth of Clyde on Scotland’s west coast, the key to scoring was to hold on for the first 11 holes – most into the wind – and then make hay down the stretch.
The woman who did it best was Amy Olson, the North Dakota native looking for her first LPGA win.
Olson shot a 4-under-par 67 that was three strokes better than Marina Alex and Sophia Popov, who at 1-under-par 70 were the only other players in red numbers after 18 holes.
With only one player in the 60s thanks to wind gusts of more than 30 mph, pretty much anyone who shot in the 70s is still very much in the hunt.
The former Women’s British Open was more brutish than anything on Thursday, with the winds making the the deep bunkers, the gorse and the dunes more difficult to avoid.
The forecast for Friday’s second round? Heavy rain showers with wind gusts of over 40 mph.
Talley hit 10 of 14 fairways on Thursday and reached 13 of 18 greens in regulation. But she did need 34 putts in the first round.
Talley is tied for 88th place.
She will tee off in the second round at 9:53 a.m. Friday (3:53 a.m. Central Daylight Time).
The AIG Women’s Open is the first major of the revamped 2020 season.
