Hoylake, England | “In my 25 years inside the ropes, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said an official who competed in the first round of the 151st Open Championship with South African amateur Christo Lambrecht. “It was extraordinary,” he added, amazed at the speed of the 22-year-old’s five-under-66 but even more intimidated by the nature of it.
The tour veteran wasn’t alone.
The galleries, too, were giddy with the way Lambrecht made his way through the links land of Royal Liverpool FC. Driver’s every quick hit made them gasp and laugh at the distances he fired the ball.
His playing rivals – compatriot Louis Oosthuizen and Dutchman Joost Luiten – felt like they were playing a different course, unable to reach some fairway shelters cleared directly from Lamprecht.
Sage-watchers who noted his victory in the Amateur Championship last month at Hillside, 30 miles north along the Irish Sea, and warned that Hoylake’s test would be too harsh for him, left eggs on their faces.
And a voice in the media center suggested that if the 6-foot-8 Georgia Tech senior wins the Claret Jug, R&A CEO Martin Slippers will need a ladder to submit to him.
It becomes clear that the height is hereditary. “My dad is 6-4, the shortest of the last five generations,” Lamprecht told a group of members of the media who responded to the news in the same way his long drive was greeted by showrooms. “My grandfather was also 6-8, and my great-grandfather was 7-0. Something regular in the family.”
Despite his height, Lamprecht, who shared an early first-round lead with local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, isn’t the most formidable challenger at the Open. Jonathan “Jigger” Thompson was 6-9 in the 2022 Championship, a PGA Tour record even as Korn Ferry tour regular James Hart du Preez, another South African, set a new record of 6-10 in the 2022 American Express.
However, what sets Lamprecht apart is the infamous combination of height and athleticism. Looking behind his speed is evident, but from the other side the marked steepness and rush of his turn is evident. When asked about the explosion he witnessed, Luoten blinked several times and shook his head in astonishment.
In contrast, Oosthuizen was willing to experiment because Lamprecht had been part of the 2010 Open champion’s foundation program since the age of 14.
“It was great to play with Lewis, and he helped a lot today,” said Lambrecht. “Having someone I know so well, who is a huge mentor to me, helped me feel comfortable. He was supporting me the whole way, and that means a lot.”
The 5-foot-9 Oosthuizen maintained that, even at 14, his student was taller than him, but was this the first time he had claimed victory? “It’s the first time he’s hit me with eight shots,” he said with a laugh, adding that what impressed him most was the maturity of the performance.
In this past month’s Amateur Championship victory, Lambrecht had aimed for the green at any par-4 less than 430 yards away, and moreover, he always found the surface of the field or let himself crack on the inside 30 yards. Members of the South African team suggested his game plan was boom or bust and had little adaptation. It didn’t bode well for a major championship design featuring more criminal and rough bunkers that were being refurbished by Tuesday’s rain.
It turns out that Lamprecht is far from one-dimensional.
“Hitting it as hard as I can and smashing it 400 yards is fun and cool,” he said. “But hitting it far isn’t what I think golf is all about. I think golf links are a real test of golf, which is how golf is supposed to be played.”
“I think I’ve earned my place to be here, and the way I played today has earned me being at the top of the leaderboard so far. It’s not a presumptuous thing to say. I’m very proud — a little surprised, of course — but I also played good golf today.” Christo Lambrecht
It might have been hard for those watching the first round to believe that this was Lamprecht with the handbrake on, but he insisted.
“At Hillside, a lot of the bunkers were about 300 yards apart, so I could carry a lot of them comfortably, and that gave me a huge advantage,” he said. “That’s why I felt so comfortable there, especially playing matches. I can be aggressive.
“Outside the bunkers are laid out much better. There are some holes I can tap into at my height, and I did today. But I think a little more here. It’s the opening. It’s not going to be easy, is it?”
As well as being intelligent, he is self-confident.
“I think I’ve earned my place to be here, and the way I played today has earned me being at the top of the leaderboard so far. It’s not a presumptuous thing to say. I’m very proud — a little surprised, of course — but I also played really good golf today.”
And what about the future?
In the long run, he insisted: “Early in my college career, I made a promise to our head coach [Bruce Heppler] That I would have stayed for four years, I believe you are no less valuable than your word. So yeah, I definitely plan on staying in college for next year and turning pro after that.”
And this week? “I’ve changed my mindset about how I approach tournaments in the past year. I just control what I can control and only worry about the next shot. So, I don’t even remotely think about Sunday or anything. All I think about is making a good shot at first place tomorrow.”
Above: Lambrecht, 6ft 8in taller than him, poses in front of the Open Gallery at Royal Liverpool. Photo: Stuart Kerr, R&A via Getty Images.
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