Christo Lamprecht (R&A photo)
Christo Lampretch, the talented 22-year--old from South Africa, showcased his prowess at the 151st British Open by shooting an impressive 5-under 66, elevating him to co-lead the morning wave alongside Tommy Fleetwood at Royal Liverpool today.
Standing tall at an impressive 6 feet 8 inches, this South African golfer delivered a near-flawless round, punctuated by seven birdies and just two bogeys on his back nine on Hole Nos. 11 and 16.
Lamprecht birdied the Nos. 3, 5, 6, and 10 to reach 4 under. He holed out from 50 yards for a birdie on No. 14, followed that with another birdie on No. 15, and topped off his round with a birdie at the last, leveraging a huge drive that allowed him to hit the green in two and set up an easy two-putt on the par five.
His stance in the bunker shown below -- something only a golfer with basketball player height like Lamprecht could pull off -- is already the viral shot of this year's Open Championship. Check it out below:
Lamprecht said being paired with his childhood idol Louis Oosthuizen (the 2010 Open champion) helped him today.
“I think having someone that I know very well and is a ginormous mentor for me that I've played previously with kind of helped me feel a little bit more at home and at ease," he said.
Lamprecht, currently ranked 10th on the Amateur Golf Rankings, secured his place in the British Open by
emerging victorious in the prestigious Amateur Championship held at Hillside in Southport, England on June 24th. That's just over an hour from Royal Liverpool.
Evidently, Lamprecht enjoys golf in Northwest England!
In addition to his recent accomplishment, Lamprecht, a senior at Georgia Tech, has earned a reputation as a standout player at the collegiate and amateur levels. He is a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer.
Lamprecht's towering height might make it appear like he's playing with kids' clubs, but don't let that deceive you. His expert maneuvers on the course generate an astonishing ball speed of up to 200 mph.
But it's not just club speed that fueled Lamprecht's performance. He has confidence on his side as well.
This was evident during his post-round interview when he calmly expressed that seeing his name at the top of the leaderboard didn't surprise him.
"As an amateur, yes, it is surprising, but in my own head, no, it's not," said Lamprecht. "I tend to be hard on myself, and I believe I've earned my spot to be here. The way I played today, I truly feel I deserve to be on top of the leaderboard at this moment."
Lamprecht's self-assurance isn't arrogance, as he clarified.
"It's not a cocky thing to say. I genuinely believe in myself, and I think any professional or competitor stepping onto that first tee box should have the belief that they can be the best out there."
With seasoned golfers like Tommy Fleetwood tied with him at 5-under and a talented field including last week's Scottish Open champ Rory McIlroy giving chase, Lamprecht surely faces stiff competition in the upcoming rounds. And the course isn't going to get any easier as more difficult weather conditions are predicted.
But Lamprecht is well ahead of the other amateurs in the field, and he is in a position to provide some drama over the weekend, just as Paul Dunne did in 2015 at St. Andrews, when
he shared the 54-hole lead.
Check out this nice R&A feature on the six amateurs competing this week.
ABOUT THE
British Open
The most coveted trophy in the game and one
of the most iconic in all of sport: more
commonly referred to as the Claret Jug.
Within
minutes of winning the British Open, the
"Champion Golfer of the Year" gets his name
engraved on that cup, and a place in golfing
history.
Amateurs have played an
important role in the tournament over the
years, with players like Sergio Garcia, Justin
Rose, and more recently Alfie Plant stepping
into the international limelight with their
golfing
performances.
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