The 17th At Royal Liverpool Rears Its Ugly Head As Early Open Championship Leader Lucas Herbert Cards Brutal Triple Bogey

Look at that. A hole playing at only 126 yards in Thursday's first round of The Open Championship. Lucas Herbert had a hell of a round going, thanks in large part to an eagle at the par-5 15th:

A par at No. 16 is a great score any day of the week, so Herbert had to be feeling himself coming to this short par 3. Unfortunately, everything went so terribly wrong. The USA telecast couldn't even keep up with all the twists and turns, but thankfully The Open's highlights captured all six of Herbert's fateful strokes.

Always blows to play hockey across the green when you're chipping. There may not be a more demoralizing feeling in all of golf than hitting a bunker shot and have it come back to your feet. Herbert did both of those things on one hole. Of course when he blasted out of the trap, he overcompensated and left himself a long-range putt for double bogey. Wasn't meant to be. ROUGH.

Hard to recover from that one. Not that Herbert is necessarily out of it after a level-par round of 71. He needs every shot he can get, though. Squandering three on a single hole is just a gut punch. No way around it.

Sorry but can we just take a second to acknowledge Herbert's caddie, Nick Pugh?

Richard Sellers - PA Images. Getty Images.

I've never seen this man before and my LORD, that is a beard worthy of the Claret Jug. Sorry to bury what should be the lede!!

As I wrote about yesterday, the last four holes at Royal Liverpool pretty much make it a mortal lock that we'll have a sensational Sunday finish. 

Potential eagle chances at both par 5s on 15 and 18. Sandwiched between those 600+ yard beasts that'll likely play downwind are two very difficult holes that players will sprint to the next tee box with pars and not ask any questions. Thomas Pieters also eagled the 15th on Thursday but gave it all back with a double on No. 16.

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Towering 6-foot-8 amateur Christo Lamprecht leads The Open at four under after a birdie on 15 and a bogey right after. Hope he doesn't make a mess of the 17th! Hang in there, young man!! (Update: He found the green with his first shot, made a routine par, and two-putted 18 for birdie to take the clubhouse lead with a 5-under 66. --Golf clap--)

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