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British Open Round 1, by the numbers: The earlier, the better for scoring

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Round 1 of the 144th British Open is in the books, but as we wait for the weather to improve so we can get on with Friday’s second round, it’s worth a look-back at what took place Thursday at the Old Course.

Though it was cold and the wind kicked up, benign conditions for most of the morning allowed for generous scoring chances, and the numbers prove it. The field average was 72.237, with six eagles, 178 birdies, 321 bogeys, 46 doubles, and 13 of the unwanted “other” flavor.

Some of this and a little of that from Day 1:

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ROUGH FINISHES: Conditions were soft in the morning (though don’t tell that to Tiger Woods) and toughened as the day wore on.