Darren Fichardt shoots 61 to lead Dunhill Links as golf’s power brokers play together in first round

Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3, also played Carnoustie alongside his father, Gerry, and shot 69.

LEADING THE WAY: Darren Fichardt shot an 11-under 61 at Kingsbarns to lead the multi-course Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA Wire. 

Darren Fichardt shot an 11-under 61 at Kingsbarns to lead the multi-course Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday after a low-scoring first round notable for the presence of the two most powerful men in golf who are seeking to reach a deal to heal the fractured sport.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the financial backer of Saudi-funded LIV Golf, played in the same group on Day 1 of a tournament which pairs a professional with an amateur for three rounds at storied Scottish courses St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.