British Open: Brooks Koepka rolling, Tiger Woods fighting at Royal Portrush

The first round of the British Open saw Brooks Koepka gaining steam once again, and Tiger Woods battling the elements – and his body – at Royal Portrush.

Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods were on opposite ends of the attitude spectrum after the first round of the British Open.

Koepka finished the day at -3, tied third with a dozen other golfers, after a day that alternated with rain, wind and pleasant conditions. He had four birdies and one bogey. The bogey came at the final hole. Still he was upbeat about the round.

"“I controlled my flight really well,” he told Golf Channel. “ I think that’s really important if you’re going to play links golf, especially in some wind.”"

He seemed to pick up right where he left off,  after repeating at the PGA championship and finishing second at the U.S. Open. He hit 11 fairways and 13 greens and had just 29 putts, according to Golf Channel.

Woods played in the same weather, but had an uncharacteristically large number of bogeys due primarily to missed fairways which caused problems with second shots. His six bogeys and a double were balanced with only one birdie. Woods hit just 57 percent of fairways and 55 percent of greens in regulation. He ended up 7-over par, tied for 144th.

“I didn’t really do much out there today. I hit a lot of missed shots. They were all left,” Woods explained on Golf Channel in a group interview. He added that he was just trying to scrape it around. “The best I could do was 7-over.”

Koepka’s round was the opposite. He credited his caddie, Ricky Elliott, with local knowledge. Elliott is from Portrush and has logged a significant number of rounds on the course. He guided Koepka’s play.

"“Off the tee, it’s pretty simple,” Koepka explained to Golf Channel. “He just tells me where to hit it and what club to hit, and I go from there. It makes my life a whole lot easier if I don’t have to think too much about what it is and where to hit it.”More from Pro Golf NowGolf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning dealFantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player SelectionsBrutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at ConcessionFantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament"

Koepka said it was a lot less stressful than going to a new course where they both have their heads down in yardage books trying to figure out what to do, what the yardage is and what to hit.

Of course, Koepka had to perform. And in the first round of this British Open, he did just that.

Woods, who has taken a great deal of time off since the U.S. Open, said that due to the surgeries on his back, he is no longer able to spend four hours on the range, play 36 holes, run four or five miles and then go to the gym on a regular basis. His body just won’t let him do that now.

"“Those days are gone. OK?” he said. “I have to be realistic about my expectations and, hopefully, peaking at the right time. I did – peaked at Augusta well — and hopefully I can peak a few more times this year.”"

He will have to rely on some muscle memory, strategic know-how and limited practice to get him through.

"“As I have said, one reason I’m playing less tournaments this year is so I can, hopefully, prolong my career and be out here for a little bit longer.”"

Whether Woods was being matter-of-fact or facing a new reality after his Masters victory, or whether he has new issues that we don’t know about, he did look somewhat disappointed when he said it. It could easily have been that he was just tired after a long day of playing badly in intermittent rain and wind.

"“Playing at this elite level is a completely different deal,” he noted. “You’ve got to be spot on. These guys are too good. Too many guys are playing well, and I’m just not one of them.”"

So, take note. He’s not kidding about this. The years of Woods winning four and five tournaments are probably gone. But he may still be able to snag a good one from time to time. He did not sound like he was giving up on the rest of the season or the rest of his career. He’s just giving everyone notice that this isn’t going to be his week at the British Open, and that he may have fewer peak weeks in the months and years to come.