TROON, Scotland – Royal Troon has seen six consecutive Americans walk away with the Claret Jug, dating back to 1962 when Arnold Palmer started the string.
On Thursday, the trend continued. Four Americans – Patrick Reed, Steve Stricker, Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel – were at or near the top of the leaderboard at the halfway mark of the first round of the 145th British Open.
While still early, Reed’s performance, a 5-under 66 that earned him the early clubhouse lead, arguably could be a byproduct of a trip to the British Isles in 2006 to Heswall Golf Club, not far away from Royal Liverpool – the site of the 2014 Open.