Adam Scott hits fan off the tee on mixed opening day at The Open

An errant Adam Scott drive left a fan bloodied on a mixed opening day for Australians at The Open.

Adam Scott pinged a fan on the head with a wayward final drive and defending champion Cameron Smith lamented his navigation of the “tricky” Royal Liverpool course as mad moments cost the Aussies a more prominent place on the leaderboard at The Open.

Scott finished his opening round with a calamitous double-bogey at the par-five 18th hole when his first drive veered right and out of bounds and hit a man among the gallery who was left with cuts and needed treatment.

After seeing the man was going to be OK, Scott gave him a signed glove with the message “Sorry, mate” before going on to make a seven in his opening 1-over 72 that left him six shots off the lead of Tommy Fleetwood, Emiliano Grillo and amateur Christo Lamprecht.

🚨🤕#LOOK: Adam Scott struck a fan on the head after his tee shot went wayward. Scott signed a glove for the injured fan who said his head was bleeding. (📸: @BlackLodgeBrew) pic.twitter.com/d2AY97TmJq

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 20, 2023

His opening 72 was the same score Jason Day and Smith carded despite the reigning champion feeling good about how he played, mixing four birdies with five bogeys to open his title defence.

“It was a little bit tricky. There‘s still a score out there, though, obviously,” Smith said

“There was lots of good today for myself, but probably just as much or even more bad. Nothing really to work on, to be honest. It still feels really good.

“I think that sums up links golf, though, to be honest. Some of your best shots and best strikes end up in the worst positions.

Cameron Smith had a mixed day. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

“I don‘t think it’s going to be quite as much of a birdie fest as last year, which is probably a good thing for me and the other guys that are just absolutely over par.

“Just a couple of good rounds should be right back in it. I don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament.”

Lucas Herbert was 3-under when he stood on the 17th tee before the “carnage” of a triple-bogey six sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.

“I could have told you there would be carnage. I could have predicted it for you,” he said after finishing at even-par.

“I think it’s a great hole. There’s no wind. It’s a gap wedge and you can make a two pretty easily, but that wind gets going and like I said you can’t really feel it too much on the tee. It becomes a really tricky shot.

“Our group all missed the green. It’s not easy.

A triple-bogey on 17 damaged Lucas Herbert’s round. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

“I would have loved to have made three on 17 and four on 18 and we‘re sitting here laughing at 4-under, but the reality is I didn’t.”

Herbert and Min Woo Lee, who also finished even par, were the best of the Aussies, with Haydn Barron (3-over), David Micheluzzi (6-over), Travis Smyth (7-over), Connor McKinney and Harrison Crowe (both 5-over) having work to do.