"It's a grind" – Justin Thomas gets honest about slow Round 1 at The Open Championship 2025

The 2025 Open Championship has kicked off at Royal Portrush, and Justin Thomas is in the field. Following the conclusion of his first round, he spoke about why it seemed slow.

Thomas teed off for his first round at Royal Portrush by 10:10 a.m. alongside Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. His group reportedly experienced slow play and took four hours to play 11 holes.

During a post-round press conference, the 16-time PGA Tour winner was asked if the round was slow or if it was a weather issue. He said (via ASAP Sports):

“It seemed really slow. Once we got to the back nine, it just seemed -- yeah, it just -- I mean, the back nine's so tough with all the cross-winds. It's really, really hard to hit fairways. Then when you miss the fairway, it's hard to hit the green. It's a grind, so everyone's going through it.”

Justin Thomas stated that the high number of people in the tournament and other elements likely contributed to the slow round. He also said that despite having had a long day and being tired, he was happy with how he played.

Thomas scored 1-over 72 in his round. He tied for 45th position with 2025 Genesis Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup, US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, and 22 other golfers. Meanwhile, Harrish English has taken an early lead in a first-place tie with Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Skov Olesen, and two others.

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How did Justin Thomas perform in the 2025 Open Championship, Round 1?

Justin Thomas kicked off his first round at Royal Portrush with an unfortunate bogey on the first hole. He fired two birdies on the second and the fifth, and another bogey on the par-3 sixth hole.

Still on the front nine, the two-time major champion fired two consecutive birdies on the seventh and eighth and a debilitating double bogey on the par-4 ninth hole. He then made an even par on all holes on the back nine except the par-4 11th, where he shot his last bogey of the day.

Here’s a look at Justin Thomas’ scorecard from his first round at the 2025 Open Championship:

Round 1

• Hole 1 (par 4) - 5
• Hole 2 (par 5) - 4
• Hole 3 (par 3) - 3
• Hole 4 (par 4) - 4
• Hole 5 (par 4) - 3
• Hole 6 (par 3) - 4
• Hole 7 (par 5) - 4
• Hole 8 (par 4) - 3
• Hole 9 (par 4) - 6
• Hole 10 (par 4) - 4
• Hole 11 (par 4) - 5
• Hole 12 (par 5) - 5
• Hole 13 (par 3) - 3
• Hole 14 (par 4) - 4
• Hole 15 (par 4) - 4
• Hole 16 (par 3) - 3
• Hole 17 (par 4) - 4
• Hole 18 (par 4) - 4

Edited by Samya Majumdar