S. Open.
"Bummed that I didn't birdie the 18th, well the ninth, but it was a good, solid round," said du Plessis.
"Very happy with it. I think the experience [at Shinnecock] made me a better golfer for this week."
Garcia Recovers Despite Wasp Sting
Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia recovered from a double-bogey on his 16th hole during Thursday's opening round to shoot a 1-under 71 despite being stung by a wasp.
"I started well, hit a couple of nice shots on the tenth to start with and almost made birdie," said Garcia.
"I hit a couple of really nice shots on 11 and made a very weak three-putt. Then, I almost birdied 12.
But from then on, you know, I just struggled to commit to anything I was doing."
Garcia managed five birdies later in his round to pull himself back into red numbers after his slow start.
"I guess I was lucky enough to make a few birdies coming in and kind of keep it decent," he stated.
"But it's a shame, because the course was there for the taking today with the soft conditions and ball in hand, not a lot of wind.
And unfortunately, I didn't really take advantage of that."
The Spaniard had previously suffered from illness during a qualifying event in England earlier in the week.
"That was a little bit unfortunate, but it only lasted probably nine or ten holes. Unfortunately, it took me out of the possibility of qualifying for The Open.
