LEADER Lucas Herbert became the first major victim of the controversial 17th hole at The Open – and fans were left fuming at Sky’s “botched” TV coverage.

Herbert, 27, was co-leading the pack in the opening round the Royal Liverpool.

The Australian was three-under through 16 holes.

But he suffered a nightmare on the dreaded par-three 17th to fall back to level par.

The 17th has been the talk of the golfing world this week with Hoylake groundstaff creating a brutal hole for the stars.

Despite being just 136 yards, the hole is on an elevated green with steep slopes and bunkers all around.

Herbert, though, had a shocker as he missed the green to the left then chipped all the way across into the far bunker, took two shots to get out of the bunker before eventually two-putting for a triple-bogey six.

The world No56 – who managed the first eagle of the major just two holes earlier – magnanimously said: “I think it is a great hole. It is just not easy.”

However, fans watching the action on Sky Sports were furious as the broadcaster cut to an advert break during then-leader Herbert’s struggles – missing both of his shots from the sand – and then wrongly put up a graphic.

The text said Herbert’s first putt was for a bogey, when in actual fact it was for a double.

Fans had earlier criticised Sky for failing to show the opening group’s attempts at the new hole, especially given the amount of talk about the 17th ahead of the 151st Open.

One said: “Don’t mean to jump on the coverage too much early here, but they really botched the at-the-time leader, Lucas Herbert, playing the new signature must-see-for-TV 17th hole.

“Showed up his chip shot through the green, went to commercial, missed his bunker shot — turns out he left his first attempt in the bunker, coverage also missed his second attempt up and out, came back from commercial and mistakenly had him putting for bogey, when it was for double.

“Changed graphic to his last putt for triple. Still never saw either bunker shot.”

‘COVERAGE SUCKS’

Another wrote: “Watched first group get all way to the new 17th then nothing – 10-minute delay before you see them putting. Really new hole, lots of build-up and we are somewhere else on the course.”

A third fumed: “We didn’t see what Lucas Herbert did at 17 because coverage sucks. But go off king. Act like we saw it.”

And a final user moaned: “Missed three of Herbert’s shots because of commercials.”

Ticket holders at the course filled up the stand beside the 17th green hours before the players reached it – just so they would not miss the drama.