Dubliner David Carey had a round to remember today at the Old Course at the Open, shooting a 5 under par 67. Carey finished in a tie for 13th place and is in a brilliant position ahead of the weekend.
The Castleknock golfer finds himself playing The Open thanks to a qualifying event last month.
Carey's blistering round featured six birdies and a bogey today. Carey started the day hovering around the cut line after shooting even par yesterday but he now has the chance to earn a handsome payday from this event.
5 birdies for Castleknock's David Carey so far today, and up to T21! 5 shots off DJ 👀 pic.twitter.com/4rgiQmERiq
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 15, 2022
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David Carey: Mr 57
Carey's claim to fame is shooting the lowest recorded round in a world ranking event: a 57 on the par 68 on the Alps Tour in Italy in 2019.
Carey also wears the throwback flatcap, in homage to his icon Ben Hogan, which is adorned with the text 'DC 57'.
He comes into this event ranked 912 in the world. Carey turned pro as a teenager and continues to play on the Alps Tour.
St Andrew's serves up fairy tale stories ever time it stages The Open. Back in 2015, Paul Dunne of Greystones - still only an amateur - lead the tournament at the start of the final day before fading.
When Carey qualified back in June, he told Brian Keogh just how much it meant to him to qualify for the tournament.
“I have been saying to everybody for the last three months that I wanted to play in The 150th Open at St Andrews, so this is special.
“I went to the Old Course for the first time yesterday and walked around the first, second, 17th and 18th. I just had a look around the place and that was maybe the extra inspiration for me.
“That was the first time I’d seen it and it is so cool to be able to walk it and see the stands and just look at everything."
Carey played nine holes with fellow flat cap enthusiast Bryson DeChambeau on Monday and afterwards the Castleknock man was sounding confident about his chances.
I am looking out there and thinking, can I shoot five-under every day. And I think, yes. If I finish the week on 20 under, you have to feel it's going to have a pretty good chance.
“Depending on the wind, I can easily reach four of the greens and there are two par fives and how many other wedge holes. My goal would be to make no bogeys. That's unrealistic not to make any mistakes. But I am going to make a ton of birdies anyway. I nearly always do. If I can keep the mistakes away, I will have a good chance.”
Cam Smith set a blistering pace on the front nine, and stormed into the lead. At the bottom of the leaderboard, Tiger Woods said an emotional goodbye to St Andrew's.
