Cal Golf: A Tough Day at the Scottish Open - Collin Morikawa, Max Homa Tied for 51st

Cameron Tringale, looking for his first profession victory, leads after shooting a 61.

Golf’s bluebloods found the going tough Thursday at the Genesis Scottish Open, as none of the world’s top-10 are closer than six strokes off the lead.

That goes for Cal grads Collin Morikawa and Max Homa, who are 10 strokes back and tied for 51st place after carding one-over 71s in the opening round at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.

Cameron Triangle, 34 and without a career victory on the PGA tour, fired a sizzling nine under 61 and has a three-stroke lead over fellow American Gary Woodland, who shot a 65.

"I haven't had a professional win on my own, and obviously Scotland is where golf started, so this place is special,'' Tringale told reporters.

Ranked No. 55 in the world, Triangle put together a bogey-free round, carding nine birdies, including six in a row through No. 15.

Morikawa, ranked No. 4, had birdies on Nos. 3, 5 and 7 but made three bogeys on the front nine then another on No. 11. He closed out his round with pars on 12 through 18.

A year ago, Morikawa tied for 71st at the Scottish Open, then won the British Open at Royal St. George’s.

Homa, playing at the Scottish Open for the first time, was at minus-1 and tied for 29th after the front nine. But he made bogeys on Nos. 12 and 14 and slid into the tie for 51st with Morikawa and 16 others.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is tied for 89th place at plus-3 in a round that ended with a double-bogey 6 on the 18th. He shares that spot with No. 5 Justin Thomas, who bogeyed three of his final five holes to finish at 73.

While second-ranked Rory McIlroy took the week off, no one else in the world’s top-10 checked in higher than a tie for seventh place on Thursday. World No. 9 Sam Burns is seventh at 3-under but still six strokes back of Tringale.

No. 3 Jon Rahm and No. 6 Cameron Smith are tied for 15th at minus-2, No. 7 Patrick Cantlay is tied for 39th at even par, No. 10 Matt Fitzpatrick is tied with Morikawa and Homa for 51st, and eighth-ranked Victor Hovland is 112th at four over.

Cover photo of Max Homa by Peter Casey, USA Today 

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo