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McIlroy hit five birdies and four bogeys in a rollercoaster round - Sportsfile/Ramsey Cardy
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Rory McIlroy stayed true to his word. On the eve of the 153rd Open Championship, he said that he is now a complete enough player that he can play poorly and still compile a first round that affords him a chance.
And so he did. His driving was all over the shop, his putting was erratic, but on one-under he is very much in the hunt, thrilling an exhilarated home crowd hooked on the Rory rollercoaster.
“I didn’t feel like I was walking into the unknown this time around,” McIlroy said, in reference to his nightmare opening round of 79 on this course six years ago. “I had the support of a whole country, which is amazing, but also comes with pressure and I handled that well.”
On a congested leaderboard, McIlroy is outside the top 15 but only three off the lead, held by a quintet comprising England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, China’s Haotong Li, Dane Jacob Skov Olesen, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and American Harris England. Next in a group on three-under is another Englishman in Tyrrell Hatton and the world No 1, Scottie Scheffler.
In all there are more than 40 golfers within four shots of the lead after a day in which the course and the weather contrived to render certain holes ridiculously arduous and others eminently gettable. McIlroy’s scorecard summed up the contrast as he posted five birdies, four bogeys and nine pars.
Remarkably, McIlroy hit only two fairways, fewer than in his eight-over beginning of 2019 from which he missed the cut in despair. But unlike that infamous occasion, other aspects of McIlroy’s game took up the slack and his mental toughness came to the fore. The Masters champion looked determined not to let down his adoring public again.
There was some brilliant iron-play, a 30-foot putt for a four up the forbidding slope on the par-five seventh and some fine up-and-downs. Considering where his ball landed off the tee, he could hardly use that old pro’s cliche of “leaving a few shots out there”.
However, he did miss a three-footer for a par on the first – at least it was three shots better than the quadruple he opened with last time – and the Masters champion was three-under when he made the turn before bogeying three of the next holes, including a desultory three-putt on the 12th. Yet he did not dwell and after an inspired chip of the par three 16th (nicknamed “Calamity”) he rolled in a 15 footer on the 17th to move back into red figures and then parred the 18th, one of the toughest on the course.
In 2019, he made a triple-bogey seven on the last, but as he claimed, this is a different Rory. He will need to sort out his driving if he is to lift his second Claret Jug, but he is satisfied with his position. “I’m surprised four-under is leading,” he said. “I thought we might have someone on six- or seven-under today.”
The English enjoyed a rousing start as the St George contingent set out to win the nation’s first Open in 33 years. Fitzpatrick’s 66 featured an eagle on the par-five second – rolling from 25 feet – and despite giving a shot back on the next that was it for bogeys as far as Fitzpatrick was concerned. The 2022 US Open winner did seem in trouble on the 16th when he missed the green on the right but from the clack, he performed a slam duck, his ball disappearing into the cup without touching the putting surface. It was good to see the 30-year-old smiling. There has not been enough of that of late by the Yorkshireman. But he is coming out of the other end of a slump and, believe it, he has the shortgame to be a huge factor here. Certainly, Luke Donald, the Europe Ryder Cup captain, will be delighted to see him returning to form with the New York match just over two months away.
Donald will also be impressed by Hatton’s form, particularly in these events that matter above all others. He was deep in contention at last month’s US Open until finishing fourth and showed his newly-discovered form in the majors with a 68 that, like Fitzpatrick’s effort, only contained one bogey. That is some going around here, when the gusts are this malevolent.
Meanwhile, on the same mark is Matthew Jordan. The 29-year-old from the Wirral has finished top 10 in the past two Opens and re-emphasised his love of the links. As did Justin Rose and 52-year-old Lee Westwood as they both recorded 69s to stand alongside yet another Englishman in Aaron Rai in the top 10.
In his 68, Scheffler, himself, located only three fairways – with the statisticians reporting that his 68 tied the lowest score by a player who hit so few fairways in an Open this century – although claimed he actually drove well: “I felt like I hit a lot of good tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple of rounds.”
That is ominous, but when the field is this bunched and the layout is this volatile, it is difficult to get a sense of the nature of the contest. Yet there are some big names who have one foot outside the exit gates. Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa struggled to 74s, while Bryson DeChambeau looked bereft and bemused in his 78. That is what seaside golf can do to a superstar.
09:39 PM BST
Some of the key tee times tomorrow
9:36 am Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
9:47 am Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:58 am Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
10:09 am Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
2:59 pm Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Jon Rahm
3:10 pm Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
09:33 PM BST
The thoughts of Rory McIlroy (-1)
09:31 PM BST
Glover and Kim finish up
Glover gets a par at 18 to finish a very solid round of 69 and heads into his second round at two under.
Kim follows suit, draining a tricky par putt, and he also finishes his opening round on two under.
Both are just two shots off the lead going into Friday.
Vegas gets a birdie and he will be one over when he starts his second round tomorrow.
09:25 PM BST
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-4) speaking to Sky Sports
09:23 PM BST
The thoughts of Tyrrell Hatton (-3)
09:22 PM BST
English shares lead after first round
The American cannot make birdie on the last so misses out on the chance to take a solo lead into tomorrow. He rolls in his par putt and goes into the second round at -4, alongside Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick and Bezuidenhout.
Finau makes par as well and ends up on one under for the day.
Canadian Taylor makes a double bogey and he will start tomorrow on six over.
09:12 PM BST
Sensible play
English plays it safe at the last and finds the right side of the green, leaving him a long birdie putt for the chance to take an outright lead at five under.
09:07 PM BST
Joint leader coming down the last
As the light is fading at Royal Portrush, it will be interesting to see if everyone gets round today. My guess is not. Anyway English is coming down the last on four under and has found the fairway off the tee. He took an iron off the tee rather than a wood or driver.
09:01 PM BST
McIlroy ends round one on -1
McIlroy has 44 feet for birdie and it is so, so close to going in but does not drop. He taps in for par and finishes round one on one under after a round of 70.
Fleetwood also has 44 feet for birdie from a different angle and gives it a shot but it rolls past the left edge. At least he gave it a chance. He then sinks the par putt and ends round one on two over.
It is zero birdies on the last for this group as Thomas’ effort slides past the left edge. Thomas also gets his par and he closes out the first round on one over.
08:56 PM BST
Down the last
As he has seemingly done all day, McIlroy misses the fairway off the tee on 18 but it is only in the first cut. His approach to the green is solid but he would have wanted a little more on it as it will be a tough birdie chance to come.
All three players in this group have found the green with their second shots and will have birdie opportunities to come up. A terrific reception for McIlroy as he reaches the last green. Chants of ‘Rory! Rory!’ are belted out by the grandstands.
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Home crowd right behind Rory McIlroy - Andy Buchanan/Getty Images
08:54 PM BST
Hovland, Aberg and Spieth end their first rounds
Aberg has a long, long birdie putt that looks like it might have a chance but it does not drop so he registers a two-over round of 73.
Hovland also makes par and ends his round at two over.
Spieth though can drain his lengthy birdie putt and he finishes on two over like his playing partners.
08:46 PM BST
Birdie for McIlroy
After Fleetwood makes birdie on 17, McIlroy rolls in his birdie effort to move to one under as he heads to the last. That is a fifth birdie of the day for McIlroy. Considering how wayward he has been off the tee today, he would probably take a one-under round.
08:44 PM BST
MacIntyre, Rose and DeChambeau finish up
Plenty of frustration today for the Scot but it is not too bad a place to be at even par and not be too happy with your round.
Can Rose be just the second player to go bogey-free today? He has a birdie chance but puts too much on it, leaving him a tricky par putt coming back. He sinks it and finishes round on two under, without a bogey to join Haotong Li in not dropping a shot today. Good, good round from Rose.
DeChambeau, fitting to his round, cannot make par and will go into round two on eight over. He has kept his composure throughout that round despite the struggles but looks thoroughly done with the round.
08:40 PM BST
Sums up his round
DeChambeau has had a horror round, going down the last at six over. He is too aggressive with his second shot, considering the pin placement hugging the left side of the green. The ball rolls down the hill and the his chip on is lucky that it clings on and does not roll back down.
Meanwhile Finau did take his birdie chance on 16 and moves to two under.
08:38 PM BST
Sublime from Rory on 17
That is frankly ridiculous (in a good way, with a slice of fortune) from McIlroy. The lie is horrible in some thick rough and he needs so much power to get it to the green. His approach lands to the left of the green but with a combination of a slightly fortunate bounce and using a slope cleverly the ball rolls down and he now has a shot at a birdie.
08:35 PM BST
Tempers boiling over
MacIntyre has grown more and frustrated as this round has gone in. He really boils over down the last as he smacks the ground with his club in frustration after missing the green to the right with his approach.
Rose meanwhile finds the green and looks set to see out a strong first round.
08:33 PM BST
Sublime
At Calamity Corner Tony Finau has no issues, playing probably the best tee shot of the day at 16. He finished third at Royal Portrush in 2019 on seven under and a birdie there would take him to two under.
08:31 PM BST
Way right and way left
On the 17th tee Thomas knows quickly his drive is leaky and there are plenty of shouts of ‘Fore Right!’. McIlroy’s woes on the tee continues as he misses the fairway to the left, something he has done plenty of times today.
08:29 PM BST
Hatton ends strong first round at -3
The Englishman secures a par at the last and finishes up on three under. A very strong opening round for Hatton and he can head into tomorrow with a very good level of confidence. Four birdies, one bogey in total.
08:24 PM BST
Up-and-down for par
McIlroy displays his short-game quality, setting up an easy par putt to remain at even par heading to the 17th. Fleetwood just about sinks his par putt and he is battling hard.
08:22 PM BST
Nearly a hole-in-one
Scottish amateur Cameron Adam is so, so close to a hole-in-one on the 13th. What a moment that would have been for the amateur.
08:18 PM BST
Attention still on Calamity Corner
How will McIlroy fare on the 16th? He avoids the big danger to the right but missed to the left, which is the miss if you are going to have one. Should be a relatively simple up-and-down for par. With these current conditions, being level par for the rest of the round would not be a bad outcome.
08:17 PM BST
Bogey for Aberg
But that could have been so much worse after that tee shot. The Swede, who only enrolled at Texas Tech University when The Open was last here in 2019, drops to two over.
08:14 PM BST
This is why they are so good!
Aberg is a massive 33 feet below the hole for his second on 16. But the Swede demonstrates just good he is with a simply sensational shot that finds the green and gives him a chance of a par. I cannot believe he just did that!
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In a real hole - Alex Pantling/Getty Images
08:12 PM BST
Nearly joins the leaders
On the 17th green Hatton has a birdie opportunity to join the leaders on four under but it slides by. He remains at -3 and will head to the last.
Back at the 15th McIlroy has a tricky putt to save his par and he stops the rot, remaining at even par.
Fleetwood though cannot make his par so he drops to three over.
08:09 PM BST
Calamity Corner strikes
Wow! I do not think I have seen a worse shot than that today and I did not expect it to be Aberg playing it. His tee shot on 16 goes miles down the huge drop and it will be quite some effort even getting down to his ball let alone how he is going to play it.
08:08 PM BST
English loses his outright lead
Two holes after taking the solo lead on five under, the American makes a bogey on 14 to drop him back to four under, meaning we now have a five-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
08:06 PM BST
Tricky finish?
Sky Sports’ Wayne Riley is reporting whilst following the McIlroy/ Fleetwood/ Thomas group on the 15th that the wind is getting up and some dark clouds are rolling in so this could be a tough end to the round for those still out on the course.
McIlroy is unlucky; his tee shot is fantastic but unfortunately rolls into the rough and means the ball is way below his feet. His approach looks like it will find the green but rolls down a significant slope. McIlroy has a job on his hands saving par.
Meanwhile up ahead on 16 MacIntyre was unable to capitalise on his birdie chance.
07:58 PM BST
Calamity Corner
Rose, MacIntyre and DeChambeau hit the daunting par-three 16th. Whilst the latter is in trouble going slightly down the drop, MacIntyre probably plays one of the shots of the day on that hole and will have a good birdie chance upcoming.
DeChambeau may take heart from Matt Fitzpatrick’s shot out of a similar position earlier, when he chipped in:
07:55 PM BST
Bogey for McIlroy
Rory is punished yet again and has to settle for a bogey on 14 to drop to even par. He was three under a matter of holes ago but has not got away with errant shots in recent holes.
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Frustration for Rory McIlroy - Paul Childs/Reuters
07:52 PM BST
Still no bogeys
The man who came runner-up to McIlroy at The Masters earlier this year Rose is having a good day. He is a little frustrated that he cannot sink his birdie putt on 15 but he remains at two under and is one of very few men today not to bogey a single hole. Three holes to play for Rose, MacIntyre and DeChambeau.
07:48 PM BST
English stays at -5, just!
Our leader has a tricky putt to save par on the par-three 13th and he remains at five under to keep his one-shot lead.
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Harris English having a great first round at Royal Portrush - Jon Super/AP
Up ahead on the 14th McIlroy is some strife. After his tee shot found the bunker, he is forced to lay up but that ends in the first cut rather than the fairway, which is an inexplicable error. His third rolls off the right of the green and he is facing dropping at least one shot.
07:43 PM BST
Big par save
He may not look too happy about it but Hatton drains another tricky par putt on 15 to stay at three under. One man to watch me thinks for the rest of the week.
One man who is no longer at three under is Glover, who bogeys 12 to go back to two under.
07:41 PM BST
Bunker problems
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07:39 PM BST
Jinxed it
Fleetwood is stood on the 14th tee and, as he hits it, Sky Sports’ Wayne Riley speaks about avoiding the bunker on the left side of the fairway and it is like a magnet. Where does Fleetwood’s tee shot end up? That bunker!
McIlroy then finds the bunker on the other side. His shots off the tee have been woeful, and I do not think that is harsh or Rory would disagree.
07:35 PM BST
So close to five under
South African Bezuidenhout is agonisingly close to joining English on five under and registering a round of 66 but the birdie putt does not drop. Still a very good round of 67.
07:32 PM BST
New outright leader
We have been waiting a while for someone to break past the four-under mark and now we have seen it. Back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 for English takes him to five under and one shot clear of the field with a third of his opening round to play.
07:31 PM BST
Two Hojgaards on -2
Rasmus finishes up with a par on the last and ends on two under, the same score as his brother Nicolai. With a Ryder Cup on the horizon, the brothers will hope to both be a part of the European team after Nicolai played for Team Europe in 2023.
07:18 PM BST
Back-to-back bogeys for McIlroy
McIlroy has a fiddly putt for par and it slides by the left edge. That is consecutive bogeys to drop to one under and McIlroy will be kicking himself for how he has played the last two holes.
How did that not go in? Fleetwood looks like he will make birdie on 12 to move to one over but the ball hangs over the right edge of the hole.
Here is Paul McGinley on Sky Sports:
07:15 PM BST
On the 11th
There was a six-way tie at the top of the leaderboard on four under but a bogey on 11 for Glover drops him to three under.
Meanwhile up at the 17th Rasmus Hojgaard has made birdie to move to two under, the same score as his brother Nicolai, who was in the first group this morning alongside Padraig Harrington and Tom McKibbin.
07:12 PM BST
In good spirits despite rough ordeal
DeChambeau is punished for his errant tee shot and ends up with a double bogey on the 13th. That takes him to five over and he will need a good end to this round to set him up with a chance ot making the weekend tomorrow. Based on how he has played though today, that seems unlikely. Despite playing poorly today, he does not appear to be too down.
Rose stays at two under with a clutch par putt. He will be happy with his round to date.
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Tough day for Bryson DeChambeau - Alex Pantling/Getty Images
07:08 PM BST
Birdie for Hovland
The eagle on the second feels a long time ago but the Norwegian birdies the 12th to move to one over. That is the first shot he has gained since that eagle.
Aberg also makes birdies and is also now at one over. Both Scandinavians, dead certs to be in the European Ryder Cup team later this year, level pegging.
07:06 PM BST
Tough, tough day
DeChambeau’s first round has not been his best to say the least and his tee shot on the par-three 13th will not help matters. Fairly quickly there are shouts of ‘Fore Left!’ and it is way left and a touch long. He has got a bit of a reputation for struggling in these type of conditions on these courses.
07:01 PM BST
Straight into the bunker
After having to stand on the the 12 tee for a while, McIlroy sends his tee shot straight into the bunker. Not wanting to make an excuse for McIlroy but I do wonder how much of an impact it will have had on McIlroy the standing around doing nothing. However McIlroy’s radar off the tee has been pretty poor today. Thomas then sends his tee shot way left.
06:59 PM BST
English back in share of lead
A birdie on 11 takes the American back to four under, alongside Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick, Bezuidenhout and Glover.
06:56 PM BST
So close to a hole-in-one
Hatton is stood on the tee at the par-three 12th and, like Niemann moments before him, uses the contours of the green to good effect and nearly drains a hole-in-one. Still a bit of work though to do for birdie as it did roll on a touch. He cannot make birdie.
Back on 12 DeChambeau has the chance to improve what has been a tough day but his birdie putt slides by. The McIlroy/ Fleetwood/ Thomas group is still stood on the 12th tee. I hate to bring it up again but the pace of play? Come on. That trio teed off over three and a half hours ago and have only played 11 holes. They are only a quarter of an hour away from four hours on the course.
06:47 PM BST
Back to two under
McIlroy cannot drain the par putt as it slides past the left edge and the Northern Irishman drops back to two under.
Thomas’ par putt also slides by the left edge and he is now one over.
06:44 PM BST
Birdie for Hatton
He is not too pleased that his eagle putt narrowly missed on the 12th but a birdie takeshim to three under, one off the lead.
06:42 PM BST
Down the 11th
McIlroy has an awful stance on his second shot and he only has one option; just to hack it up the fairway a little bit. He has then just under 100 yards in and gets a good (slightly lucky) bounce off the right edge of the green, giving him a decent chance of saving par.
06:37 PM BST
Stuck record
It feels like we say this at every major (we do!) but the pace of play today has been, frankly, embarrassing. It is ridiculous that everyone speaks about it but nothing is done to resolve the clear issue. Very similar to cricket!
06:34 PM BST
Still wayward off the tee
McIlroy is three under but he has barely hit a fairway today. His latest effort on 11 leaks out to the left. Scheffler also had difficulty finding fairways and he finished up on three under.
06:26 PM BST
Big par save
How has MacIntyre got a par on 11? His tee shot was horrific but somehow rescues a par to stay at one under. That par will feel like a birdie.
Rose has a birdie putt in the same group, which he takes to move to two under. Quietly going under the radar but he will not mind. He finished sixth last week at the Scottish Open and has taken that good form into today.
06:23 PM BST
Birdie for Rory
A fourth birdie of the day for McIlroy, this time on the 10th, and he is now up to three under, one off the lead. That was set up by a terrific approach shot, which gave him eight feet in for birdie.
06:21 PM BST
Angry Hatton
It is a bogey on 11 to drop the Englishman to two under and it is safe to say he is not too happy as he walks off the green. There are a few near the top of the leaderboard who have just dropped shots, including the American duo of English and McNealy.
06:13 PM BST
MacIntyre’s struggles continue
The Scot has followed Rai’s path around the turn. MacIntyre was three under just a few holes ago and steps onto the 11th tee at one under. His tee shot leaks out to the right and to say the spot he lands in his thick rough is a massive understatement. It would not be surprising if they cannot even find it, despite some spotters near by.
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Royal Portrush biting - David Fitzgerald/Getty Images
06:08 PM BST
The ninth strikes again
It has hit many players hard and Thomas is the latest, making a double bogey and drops to even par. He has undone the good work on seven and eight.
Fleetwood drops a shot of his own and ends his front nine on two over.
McIlroy has a lengthy birdie putt from outside 30 feet that he cannot sink. He rolls in the par putt to hit the turn at two under.
06:00 PM BST
The thoughts of Scottie Scheffler (-3)
05:50 PM BST
Eagle alert!
And it comes on the par-five 12th as South African Bezuidenhout nails a 28ft putt to take him into a share of the lead on four under. It is becoming congested at the top as we now have six players on -4, with Glover the latest man to join that club.
Langasque also makes an eagle on 12 and he goes to three under.
05:45 PM BST
Thomas moving
The American chips in from just before the green on the eighth to take him to two under. His last win on the PGA Tour came in April when he won the RBC Heritage and he finished in a tie for 31st at Royal Troon last year.
McIlroy has just under seven feet for birdie but it slides by the right edge so he stays at two under.
05:42 PM BST
Back to two under
Nine is causing some issues and MacIntyre is the latest to encounter that, with a bogey dropping him back to -2.
Back on the eighth McIlroy has a terrific chance of a birdie after a superb approach shot.
05:39 PM BST
Bad weather coming in?
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05:39 PM BST
New joint leader
English is having a great front nine, with a birdie on the par-five seventh taking him to four under. There is now a four-way share of the lead; Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick and now English.
05:38 PM BST
Tricky
What was I saying earlier about how one minute you can be flying and the next the course bites you on the backside? It has happened recently to Rai and now MacIntyre is in some strife on the ninth, which is where Rai found some trouble. The Scot’s tee shot leaks out to the right into some horrible rough and his third is not his best, going even further right, prompting him to let out some fruity language. Hatton has just managed to save par on nine but it is very difficult to imagine MacIntyre doing so.
Back at the seventh...
05:32 PM BST
Big par save
Just as Hatton looks like dropping a shot on the ninth, he drains a long par putt to hit the turn at three under. That in many ways will feel like a birdie.
05:27 PM BST
MacIntyre’s momentum continues
The Scot is in fine form on this front nine and he makes it back-to-back birdies on seven and eight. That takes him to three under and a tie for fourth.
05:26 PM BST
Stunning!
What an unlikely eagle that would have been for McIlroy. He could not get anywhere near the green with his second from the rough but his third shot is sublime, rolling just by the left edge of the hole. It is a simple tap-in for birdie, that just tucks in on the left edge of the hole, and he moves to two under. You would not say he has played his best golf so far but he is just two off the lead. McIlroy does come into this week after a decent showing last week at the Scottish Open, where he finished second, two shots off the winner Chris Gotterup.
Fleetwood needs to get some shots back and comes agonisingly close to an eagle of his own as the putt just does not drop. He has to settle for a birdie and goes to one over. Thomas also makes birdie and goes into the red.
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Up on the eighth...
05:18 PM BST
Moving up the leaderboard
With the conditions favouring the later starters, plenty of players are moving on up. Bezuidenhout, McNealy, Hatton, English and Glover are all three under.
Just as I type that though Bezuidenhout drops to two under after a bogey on 11.
05:17 PM BST
Wayward off the tee once more
McIlroy’s driver has not served him particularly well today and that is the case once more on the par-five seventh, leaking out to the left.
Up ahead on the green Aberg finally gets his first birdie of the day to improve to one over.
05:08 PM BST
Another dropped shot
Not that long ago Rai was with the leaders on four under but back-to-back bogeys on nine and ten drops him back to two under. It just shows around this course that one minute you can feel good but the next you cannot stop the bogeys.
05:06 PM BST
Scot on the move
MacIntyre is on the seventh, called Curran’s Point, which was a new hole built for 2019 and has been lengthened this year. His third shot on the par five gives him under six feet for birdie, which he takes and improves to two under.
Rose cannot make a birdie so remains at one under.
Three straight big groups are in succession down the seventh at the same time:
MacIntyre/ Rose/ DeChambeau
Aberg/ Spieth/ Hovland
McIlroy/ Thomas/ Fleetwood
05:02 PM BST
The thoughts of Shane Lowry (-1)
04:58 PM BST
Nearly one back
Fleetwood has had a tough start to his first round but he comes so close to getting it going. He has a long, long birdie putt on the sixth green which swings a long way from right to left and it comes so close to dropping into the hole.
McIlroy’s birdie effort also narrowly misses so he stays at one under.
04:55 PM BST
Hatton flying
A great start for the Englishman, who makes a birdie on the seventh to go to three under, one shot off the leaders.
04:50 PM BST
Portrush making even the best struggle
DeChambeau is on the tee at the par-five seventh without having hit a fairway so far. That run continues as he finds the rough and it has been a tough start for the American, who is two over. His best finish at The Open was a tie for eighth in 2022 and he missed the cut at Royal Portrush back in 2019.
It is also a challenging period for Hovland. That eagle on the second seems a long time ago as it is three straight bogeys for the Norwegian and he is now one over.
Not long after he joined the leaders on four under, the course strikes back at Rai, who bogeys the ninth to hit the turn at three under.
04:45 PM BST
Into the red
McIlroy’s birdie putt is up the slope his second shot rolled back down and he sinks it, improving to one under, much to the delight of the huge crowd following his group.
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04:44 PM BST
Fleetwood’s issues continue
It has been a tough start for the man who finished second to Lowry at Royal Portrush six years ago. After a bogey on the fourth, he walks away with another bogey on the fifth to drop to two over. Not the hole Fleetwood wanted but for McIlroy...
04:39 PM BST
“Craziest weather pattern”
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04:38 PM BST
New joint leader
We have a fourth player on four under as Aaron Rai’s front nine goes from good to even better. It is back-to-back birdies on seven and eight and he is up to -4 as he approaches the turn.
04:37 PM BST
Favourable conditions?
It had looked like we might get storms this afternoon but they have not come (yet!):
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04:36 PM BST
Basic errors from Hovland
The Norwegian’s drive on the par-four fifth is fantastic, coming up not far short but I do not know how to describe his next few shots. They are more like an amateur who has not played here before as he does not cope well with the slopes of the green and makes some basic errors to make bogey, when realistically he should have had a good shot a birdie.
Back-to-back bogeys for Hovland as he drops back to even par after an early eagle.
04:33 PM BST
The thoughts of Matt Fitzpatrick (-4)
04:24 PM BST
More trouble at the fourth
Fred Daly’s takes another victim over the last half an hour. First DeChambeau, then Hovland and now Fleetwood, who makes bogey.
McIlroy has a tricky little putt to save his par but he does so.
04:18 PM BST
Birdie on the fifth
A great tee shot on the par four sets up a birdie for Rose, which takes him into the red.
Up at seven his fellow Englishman Aaron Rai has made a birdie to go to three under, one off the lead.
04:12 PM BST
Fourth strikes again
DeChambeau had troubles there and Hovland is struck by it, not quite by the same extent though as he makes bogey to drop to one under.
Further back down the same hole Fleetwood finds a bunker and simply has to just get out of it rather than have any thought of trying to find the green.
The lie for McIlroy’s is not too bad actually despite the errant tee shot. He tells his approach to sit but it rolls off the back. Not an awful second shot. What is an awful shot is Thomas’ second, which flies miles right. Fleetwood’s third goes over the back and he is facing at least one dropped shot here.
04:09 PM BST
Wayward again
McIlroy’s driver did not serve him particularly well on the second and it does not either on the fourth. His arm is out, signalling it has gone to the left but he may be lucky as it appears it may have ended on a footpath, which has seen many people walk over it all day.
04:03 PM BST
Strong start for Hatton
The Englishman got a birdie on the second and he makes another on the fifth to improve to two under. No angry moments yet from Mr Hatton but I suppose no reason to be.
04:01 PM BST
DeChambeau in a pickle
This is just how challenging Royal Portrush is. DeChambeau is at the par-four fourth and is in some thick rough not far shy of the green. The ball is well above his feet and he duffs his first effort before his second is just an attempt to get it out of the rough, rolling to his left. Should he have just taken an unplayable there? Easy to say though in hindsight. The American ends up with a double bogey and drops to two over. One error can easily be compounded round this course.
One hole behind McIlroy narrowly misses a birdie putt and stays at even par.
03:55 PM BST
Lowry down the last
The 2019 Open champion at this course makes his way onto the final green with the huge grandstands around the 18th green packed. A rousing reception for the Irishman. He finishes with a par and will start his second round on one under.
Scheffler sees his birdie putt slide past the right edge and taps in for his par to end on three under, one shot off the lead.
Morikawa’s tough day comes to an end with a bogey and the American finishes on four over.
03:48 PM BST
Rory quickly makes amends
Bogey on the first but McIlroy hits straight back. His approach with his third shot into the second green gives him a chance of birdie, which he takes to get back to even par.
Thomas follows suit by making birdie after a bogey on the first. However Fleetwood cannot make it three birdies in this group.
03:46 PM BST
On the second
McIlroy has around 230 yards to the hole but he has no choice but to lay up, limiting his chance of making up for that bogey on the first.
His Ryder Cup amigo Rahm makes par on the last and ends his first round at The 2025 Open on one under.
The defending champion Schauffele ends with a par and it is an even-par round of 71.
03:39 PM BST
Eagle alert!
It comes from Hovland. He takes advantage of the par-five second and sinks his eagle putt to reach two under early in his first round. His best finish at The Open was a tie for fourth in 2022.
At the 17th there are also plenty of cheers as Lowry makes a birdie, his third of the day, to go to one under.
03:37 PM BST
Stunning from Scheffler
He is proving exactly why he is an elite golfer. After a sublime birdie on 16 that could have been a hole-in-one, his approach to the 17th green also nearly finds the hole but it will a simple birdie putt to move to three under and one shot off the lead, which he takes. One hole to go for Scheffler.
Meanwhile back at the second there are some big cheers...
03:32 PM BST
Not the ideal response
McIlroy has a driver in hand at the par-five second but the ball flies to the left, prompting shouts of ‘Fore Left!’, something most of us are used to saying quite often on a golf course!
03:28 PM BST
Oh no, Rory!
McIlroy’s second out of the rough has good distance, coming to a rest near the front of the green, but that is a long way from the pin. Good effort from that lie and he will want to at least nestle this birdie effort near the hole and it is pretty decent putt, leaving him just a few feet for par by using a slope intelligently. But he manages to miss the parr putt and drops a shot on the first. I suppose better than six years ago, when he started with a quadruple bogey here.
Fleetwood starts with a par. Thomas’ tee shot was fantastic but his next two shots are probably worse than average. It is a bogey to start for Thomas, who had his best finish at The Open on this course in 2019, when he finished in a tie for 11th.
Up at the second DeChambeau makes a mess of a chip onto the green and the ball rolls back off on the same side. He rescues a par but will probably be disappointed he has not taken advantage of a par five.
03:19 PM BST
At the 16th
That is nearly stunning from world No 1 Scottie Scheffler. Calamity Corner is a horror of a hole; a par three over 200 yards where you play over what feels like a never-ending abyss, like going over the edge of doom. But that does not deter Scheffler, as he is not far off making a hole-in-one. He sinks the birdie putt and is up to two under, two off the lead.
Back at the second Tyrrell Hatton has made birdie, improving to one under.
03:13 PM BST
Here comes Rory
It is time for Game 46 in this first round and the crowd roars as Rory McIlroy, the 2014 Open champion, steps onto the first tee. The grandstands are packed, including some of my family who are lucky to be right in the thick of it, and the whole way up the fairway is rammed. He is playing alongside Justin Thomas and his Ryder Cup buddy Tommy Fleetwood. They all look fairly calm and relaxed on the tee as McIlroy and Fleetwood share a chuckle.
I wonder how much Rory will be thinking of his shot on this tee in the first round back in 2019, when he went out of bounds to the left and made a quadruple bogey to begin a round of 79, which resulted in him missing the cut. Interestingly he has won just one more major since but how things have changed having completed the career grand slam at The Masters earlier this year. He would probably rather remind himself that he shot a round of 61 on this course as a 16-year-old.
McIlroy is the first to hit and his tee shot, like it did in the first round in 2019, drifts to the left but not as far left as it was six years ago when it went out of bounds. It looks like a tough lie but he will be relieved it is in play!
Thomas then steps up and finds the fairway on the right-hand side. Fleetwood sends his effort down the middle of the fairway and this stellar group is under way.
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03:05 PM BST
Fitzpatrick finishes up
The Yorkshireman had a very outside chance on the 18th green to go into the outright lead but his birdie putt narrowly misses. He taps in for par, finishing off a very good round of 67 to leave him on four under, in a joint share of the lead. Bravo to Mr Fitzpatrick.
A lot of the attention though has now turned to the first tee, where a certain Northern Irishman is about get going...
03:03 PM BST
More heavy hitters head out
We have another blockbuster group as Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland are on the first tee. 2017 Open champion Spieth finds the left side of the fairway.
Aberg’s tee shot also goes down the left side of the fairway and looks like it will evade the bunker but unluckily for the Swede it just rolls in.
Hovland makes it three for three down the left but, like Spieth, finds the fairway.
02:53 PM BST
Garcia makes a third birdie in a row...
Four pars and then three birdies leaves him three under after seven holes. Robert MacIntyre, Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau are about to tee off.
DeChambeau draws his shot into the light rough. Rose’s shot is like a frozen rope down the middle.
02:47 PM BST
A fine 68 for Matthew Jordan
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He went in a superb run of four birdies in five holes around the turn but then dropped two shots in two holes before steadying the ship to finish with three pars.
02:45 PM BST
Slight discrepancy in Fitzpatrick’s score
On the official website it has him down for a five on his scorecard, but his ball tracker says he holed out for par. He was 35ft away with his approach so a three put is unlikely... but not impossible. Let’s see what has actually happened.
OK, it has updated. It was a par. He stays at four under and in a share for the lead.
02:40 PM BST
Tyrrell Hatton tees off
He draws it into the light rough... but it looks like it sits down a little.
02:38 PM BST
Fitzpatrick playing ‘beautifully’
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So much for Calamity Corner! After all my talk this morning about the dangers of going into the “yawning chasm” to the right of the green at Portrush’s notorious par-three 16th, Matt Fitzpatrick holes out from the rough below the hole with a slam dunk! Deserves it. I followed him for the first nine holes this morning and he was playing beautifully.
02:30 PM BST
Slow, slow, slow play
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I know Portrush is tough, I know it’s rainy and windy and thus the rounds will take longer. But 5hrs 45mins for 18 holes is appalling. It might be 6hrs by the end of the day.
02:29 PM BST
Fitzpatrick birdies 16!
His tee shot on the long par three leaked left but then his chip up the hill lands straight in the hole! He moves into the co-lead at four under.
Meanwhile, things are starting to slip away from double major champion Collin Morikawa who misses a 10ft par putt and slides back to three over. Lowry drops another shot in what has been a slightly slopping previous five holes after moving to two under after six.
02:24 PM BST
It is a congested field
That is what you would expect at this early stage, but 78 players are between two under and two over. And then there are only another five players at three and four under. Li Haotong currently shares the lead with Jacob Skov Olesen.
02:07 PM BST
Garcia the leading Spaniard today
Two birdies in a row puts him two two under after six holes. 10 top-10 finishes at the Open in his career.
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Shane Lowry only pars the 12th which isn’t quite like dropping a shot but might feel like it.
01:56 PM BST
Rahm makes it to the green in three
He had to play out of the bunker onto the fairway. He’s got a 38ft putt for birdie. A par on the 12th is a missed opportunity for certain. It’s playing as the easiest hole with an average score of 4.74 or 0.26 shots under par.
01:49 PM BST
Westwood does par the last
So that’s a two-under 69. Nobody really tearing things up in tricky if not treacherous conditions. Wind is blowing a bit but nothing too bad. Sergio Garcia has started reasonably, level par after four holes.
The Spaun/Schauffele/Rahm group are now all at evens after each of them dropped shots on 11.
01:47 PM BST
Par for Jordan at 16
Sinks his putt and he will be relieved with that after his tee shot.
Rahm, meanwhile, finds the fairway with his drove on the par-five 12th. At least he does when it lands. It then rolls into the furthest of three bunkers that protect the right-hand side of the fairway. He seemed sceptical that he would reach it. Well, it did.
Lowry has a lengthy par putt on 11th and makes it! Big cheers at Portrush for that.
01:36 PM BST
Matthew Jordan finds his way out of trouble on 16
His tee shot started straight and then drifted left into the valley of rough. He has a decent lie and chips out to about five feet. A makeable par and that would be a great par.
Rahm’s monster par putt coming up now. So close! Literally a single roll away from dropping. Dropping (a shot) is what he does, though. Two shots gone in two holes and he is back to level par.
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01:30 PM BST
Rahm punches out on 11
He does very well to do so. Goes forwards and stays on the fairway or perhaps the light rough. What can he do from there? 115 yards into the green and it is not a great effort. High trajectory and lands well beyond the hole but does not spin back. That is a long par putt.
Keegan Bradley about to tee off on hole one. US Ryder Cup captain who is in fine form. A steady opening shot, just on the left-hand side of the fairway, 250 yards long.
01:25 PM BST
Birdies for Fitzpatrick and Jordan
Both move to within one of the lead. Westwood holes a par putt on the 17th which means he is two under with one to play. Decent start. You can’t win the Open on day one but you can certainly lose it. Westwood has put himself in a decent position.
Another wayward drive for Rahm. Think he complains about someone whistling on his backswing. Come on, man. Scheffler makes a birdie on hole 10 to move to two under.
01:17 PM BST
Mickelson finished with a 70 by the way
One under par and I think he can be happy with his work for the day.
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01:14 PM BST
Brooks Koepka has been wayward off the tee today
He is so again on the 11th, and he and a few others are currently grubbing around a collection of ferns in the rough. Seems like he may have hit his provisional there as well.
Rahm has made a bit of a mess of hole 10, though, and will drop his first shot of the day after sinking a four foot birdie putt.
01:11 PM BST
Matthew Jordan bogeys 15
That moves him back to two under, with Fitzpatrick and Westwood. His last par was on hole seven, since then it has been four birdies and three pars. Conditions tough out there at the moment and the scores are starting to suffer.
Sadom Kaewkanjana is doing fine, though, and is now three under after six thanks to an eagle on five and a birdie on two.
01:02 PM BST
Calamity Corner living up to its name?
Westwood’s tee shot is in the big hollow to the right of the green. His next shot ends up on the other side of the green and he fails to sink the 60ft putt coming back. A dropped shot, but at least only one. Perhaps not a total calamity but he moves back to two under.
12:59 PM BST
Cheer for Clarke, at last
The Northern Irishman holes a chip from the greenside rough on the 17th to move back to four over.
12:56 PM BST
Rahm stays at two-under
Rahm played a superb shot to the green on the ninth, leaving a 21ft uphill putt for birdie. He leaves it short, though, perhaps the rain holding things up. He goes out in a bogeyless two-under 34.
Matt Fitzpatrick, meanwhile gets a bad break on 11. His ball is heading to the pin but digs into an upslope at the front of the green and (after some waiting) rolls back into the valley in front of the green.
12:54 PM BST
‘McIlroy could be fleeced by this late draw’
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We are going to see quite a number of those squalls over the next few days. They arrive with little warning and players will just have to buckle down and withstand the conditions – and not shout too much at their caddies. It will be fascinating to see what happens with the weather over the next few hours. The likes of Rory McIlroy and the other late starters could be fleeced by this draw.
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12:48 PM BST
A couple of former champions struggling
Darren Clarke (below) is five over after 16 holes and Louis Oosthuizen finished his first round with a six-over 77.
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Padraig Harrington posted a four-over 75. I suppose we will find out how good that was in the next six hours or so as the rain falls and the wind gets up.
12:41 PM BST
Lai Haotong’s bogeyless run continues
He birdies the 17th and is now in a share for the lead at four under.
12:36 PM BST
A first bogey for Westwood
It’s a 3.5ft putt which he puts wide. Looked pretty flat too. He is back to three under and is no longer in a tie for the lead...
12:34 PM BST
Matthew Jordan into a share of the lead
He had a chance to take it outright but just ran his eagle putt on the 12th wide. Four birdies in five holes now. He is flying.
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12:32 PM BST
Scheffler makes his second birdie
A short putt after a wonderful approach. Two under now. His fellow American, Brooks Koepka played a superb recovery shot a couple of holes ago but cannot do the same from the far-right rough on the seventh, leaving it just short of the green
12:18 PM BST
True Open conditions arriving...
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A soggy start at Royal Portrush, with potential thunderstorms later. Emergency waterproofs are said to be shifting well in the enormous Open store, which has been busy since yesterday. Caps are already a popular purchase but more so than ever today. Home favourite Rory McIlroy stopped for crowds and spent an hour signing caps yesterday.
Biblical downpouring in last hour, with thousands sheltering in the bars and stores of the fan village. Nice weather for ducks and for the 28,500ft megastore, which is doing bumper trade. There are 70 tills in operation yet many have queues. Fanatics, who operate retail at The Open, say they have 350 retail staff in Portrush for the week, with more than 900 different products for sale in store ranging from a £2 marker pen for autograph hunters to £1,600 for a limited edition putter.
12:16 PM BST
Matthew Jordan is cranking it up
This is just the Englishman’s fifth major with three of those appearances coming at the Open. Top 10 finishes in the last two years in this competition, though. Rahm moves to two under with a birdie at seven as the skies darken and the rain becomes heavier.
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12:12 PM BST
A bogey for Jacob Skov Olesen on the last
He misses a six or seven footer for par on the last for his second bogey of the day to post 67. Very good, but Westwood has just moved to four under with a birdie on 12. No bogeys for the man from Worksop.
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12:05 PM BST
Movers and shakers
Shane Lowry has moved to two under, Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan is two under too. Rahm at one under and finds the fairway just short of the green on the par-five seventh. Mickelson has faded a bit at level par. At the bottom of the field KJ Choi managed to finish the back nine two over after going out eight over par. Unless you have a handicap, 81 is never a good score.
12:02 PM BST
A fine round from Nicolai Hojgaard
He is in the clubhouse with a two-under 69.
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Just the one blemish on his card today and that was a double bogey at 11. Four birdies elsewhere and the rest pars. It is his countryman Jacob Skov Olesen who leads the way. He is on 18 and at the side of the green for two at that, so will post a 66 if he gets up and down from there. Or two putts, depending on what he does.
11:58 AM BST
Rahm furious with himself on seventh tee
A bit of a slice by the looks of it but it is not too bad... maybe 10 or 12 yards into the rough. It’s a par five so is very much a birdie opportunity and he has 286 yards to go from there so all is not lost. Not that it was a good swing.
11:46 AM BST
English watch
We have three Englishmen in the top 10 with Westwood at three under, Matt Fitzpatrick back to two under and Matthew Jordan at one under. Harris English, who is not English but American, tees off 3.21pm alongside Nick Taylor and Tony Finau.
11:37 AM BST
Jacob Skov Olesen misses a birdie putt
It would have moved him to six under but he taps in for par on the difficult par-three 16th. Tom McKibbin, from Belfast, bogeys the final hole to finish with a one over 72.
11:27 AM BST
Chip in for Olesen!
Jacob Skov Olesen extends his lead over Westwood and Li to two shots with a lovely delicate chip on hole 15. With the weather expected to worsen throughout the day if he can get in at this score or better he could end up in a strong position for the weekend.
Scheffler, meanwhile, makes a clutch putt for par to stay at one under.
11:25 AM BST
Tom McKibbin coming towards the end of his round
It was an up-and-down front nine of two under with two bogeys, four pars, two birdies and an eagle. After a double bogey on the 11th he has been fairly steady – level par with four pars in a row now. He might struggle to keep that run going, though, as he has had to play sideways out of a fairway bunker on the last.
11:08 AM BST
Who is struggling today?
Nobody more than KJ Choi who is 10 over for the day. Louis Oosthuizen is at five over, Padraig Harrington plus four and Jason Day plus three. They are all a fair way into their rounds, so not much time to make up those shots, at least today.
2011 winner and Ulsterman Darren Clarke is at two over after 10 which is far from a disaster at this point, especially if the conditions worsen as they are expected to.
11:05 AM BST
Hole one: An absolute nightmare
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The first 60 golfers through the first hole have played the par four in a combined 23-over. The right-to-left wind is making it a more demanding test, but it still must be rated as the toughest opening hole on the Open rota.
11:04 AM BST
Shane Lowry to move to two under
A long putt just narrowly sneaks by the left-hand side of the hold. He stays in a tie for fifth with a bunch of others including but not limited to Mickelson, Cantlay, Fitzpatrick and Scheffler, who has just made a two on the par-three third hole.
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10:59 AM BST
I played Calamity Corner and survived – this is why pros fear the 16th at Royal Portrush
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It has been variously described as a “beast”, a “card-wrecker” and “236 yards of pure terror”. So by the time I reach the 16th hole at Royal Portrush, better known as “Calamity Corner”, on a blustery day back in April, I am resigned to my fate. The wind is into my face and slightly off the left. The sky is dark. Ahead of me lies a yawning chasm of dense-looking rough.
I already know what is going to happen. My playing partners – who have watched me spray the ball around the Dunluce links all day – already know what is going to happen. But there is nothing else for it. With the advice of my handy Strokesaver course guide ringing in my ears (“Aim for the left side of the green, take plenty of club and say your prayers!”) I clutch my driver tightly, and swing…
10:55 AM BST
The leading group has reached hole 16
Or Calamity Corner, as it is known... you can see why below.
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Credit: YouTube / @sirnickfaldo
10:51 AM BST
Mickelson has dropped back to one under
Likewise Matt Fitzpatrick after his eagle on the second. Scheffler has a tricky birdie putt but just misses right. Two pars to open for the American world No 1.
10:42 AM BST
Speaking of Olesens...
Thorbjorn, also a Dane, has moved to one under after six holes. Li Haotong has joined Westwood in second at three under.
10:40 AM BST
We have a new leader...
Jacob Skov Olesen eagles the 12th to go to four under and one ahead of Westwood Just the one bogey for him today and three birdies and an eagle.
10:31 AM BST
Westwood into the lead on his own
The Englishman missed a tricky eagle putt, but only just, so he taps in for a birdie on the seventh. Four pars, three birdies.
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Six top-10 finishes for him over the years at this tournament, the last of them came at this very course in 2019. His last Open appearance was in 2022. It’s going well so far. Mickelson has had to play out of the rough on his second shot on 11. He manages to get it about 50 yards down the hole but it remains in the rough.
10:23 AM BST
No luck for 2019 champion Lowry on the first hole, either
He, like Rahm, lips out for a birdie.
10:16 AM BST
A six-way tie for the lead now
Nicolai Hojgaard sinks a 16ft putt on the 13th to make it two birdies in a row and get back to two under after his double bogey on the 11th. Jon Rahm, meanwhile, does not make the most of his excellent approach on the first hole and misses a short birdie putt.
️The rain has started and the umbrellas are out...
10:14 AM BST
Lowry finds the fairway with his drive on the first
Scheffler and Morikawa find the left rough.
10:09 AM BST
Matt Fitzpatrick has started strongly
Two under after two holes thanks to holing a long eagle putt on the second. Four others: Jacob Skov Olesen, Mickelson, Lia Haotong and Westwood also at minus two.
10:06 AM BST
Lee Westwood: European tour banned me then asked me to promote Ryder Cup
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Lee Westwood’s first visit to Royal Portrush was in 1993 when he was one of the favourites to win the Amateur Championship. His mother, Trish, stepped in as caddie.
“It peed down and she didn’t keep the clubs dry,” Westwood recalls. “I didn’t qualify for the matchplay stages and I told Mum it was her fault. She told me that she had managed to keep my nappies dry for all those years. There is no arguing with that.”
Two years later, Westwood played in his first Open Championship and on the 30th anniversary of his debut the memories are coming back to the 52-year-old. “It was at St Andrews, the Home of Golf, so it was intimidating enough waiting to get on that first tee in front of the Royal and Ancient clubhouse and everything.
“We were in the group behind Arnold Palmer and he was playing with Ian Baker-Finch [the 1991 champion]. Well, Baker-Finch hit that hook that has become infamous. It’s the widest fairway in golf and he hits 180 yards left over the first fairway, over the 18th fairway and out of bounds, where no pro had ever been before or since.
“There were a few gasps, then dead silence. It was eerie and I’m stood there saying to my caddie, ‘for f--- sake, he won this a few years ago and if the pressure gets to him...’”
Westwood “bunted” his down the fairway, made his par and “managed to suppress the vomit”.
10:03 AM BST
Xander Shauffele stripes his opening drive
It’s an iron and the ball flight is a low draw to the middle of the fairway. US Open winner JJ Spaun does similar in a slightly different way, straight and higher.
What can Jon Rahm do? Pretty much the same, but slightly further over to the right, about 30 yards longer than Schauffele.
09:57 AM BST
Jordan Smith misses a tiddler
It would have been three birdies in a row to move to two under and a share of the lead with Westwood, Mickelson and Li Haotong.
09:53 AM BST
Nostalgia fest
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It must be the first time in the history of the Open that two 50-plus-year-olds are sharing the lead at any point. Mickelson and Westwood providing a nostalgia fest out here. Both have showed returns to form of late.
09:48 AM BST
The old hands rising to the top early on
Westwood birdies the fifth hole after creaming his pin-high just off the green and then getting down in two from there.
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Mickelson and Westwood share the lead now. McKibbin and Nicolai Hojgaard both exited hole 11 with double-bogey sixes, so move back to one under.
09:38 AM BST
A few big names off in the next 20 minutes
Koepka, Schauffele, Rahm, Lowry, Scheffler in the next 20 minute or so.
09:36 AM BST
McKibbin has found his ball
The problem is that he has advanced it barely a few feet and it stays in a tricky spot. Chickened out. Scared of it. Obviously he didn’t want to bunt it into the rough on the other side, but he commits a lot more on the second attempt and advances it down the fairway.
Jacob Skov Olesen has dropped a shot and is back to one under.
09:32 AM BST
Mickelson into a share of the lead
He misses his eagle putt on seven but taps in for a birdie to go to two under. No bogeys today, just five pars and two birdies. His drive on the eighth is decent, too, albeit in the light rough just off the left side of the fairway. 156 yards left from there.
09:28 AM BST
Trouble for McKibbin and Nicolai Hojgaard on the 11th
They will both have a struggle to find their drives, let alone play them. It is now a three-way tie for the lead with Jacob Skov, Olesen also on two under, but he may well end up having the sole lead in short order. A seven-way tie for fifth at the moment, with Jordan Smith (below) and Lee Westwood in that group, as well as Chris Gotterup.
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Matt Fitzpatrick, 2022 US Open winner, is about to tee off on the first wearing a bobble hat.
09:14 AM BST
Morning conditions looking more benign
09:11 AM BST
Harrington in trouble on 10
His drive has found the deep rough short of the fairway. The world and his wife have not yet located his ball. Someone appears to have found something... “Srixon 3?” you can almost imagine someone saying as Harrington’s hopes are raised... “No, that’s not it..”.
Back to looking, then. I think this one may well be lost. Someone will find it at some time, but that might be next year, or the year after. Ah, golf.
He goes back to the tee to reload and smashes it over the fairway this time... into the rough.
09:04 AM BST
McKibbin shares the lead
The Ulsterman continues his red-hot run with a birdie on the ninth to go out in 34. He is now four under for the last five holes. Mickelson makes another par to stay at one under.
09:03 AM BST
Lee Westwood the leading Englishman
He has birdied the second to move to one under. It has been a long time since an Englishman won the Open.
Read James Corrigan’s piece on why Nick Faldo (who was the last English winner) believes Justin Rose (who tees off at 2.48pm) is best placed to end that.
Another Englishman, Marco Penge, is at level par currently.
08:55 AM BST
Rahm to win and DeChambeau to bomb – our Open Championship predictions
The Open Championship is back at Royal Portrush, and the expectations of drama are already rising. Earlier this week, we tasked our golf specialists with scripting how this major might unfold.
Click here to read our full verdict.
08:54 AM BST
A group of players at one under now
They are all chasing Nicolai Hojgaard. Well, as much as you can chase anyone in the opening couple of hours of a major championship. McKibbin, Jacob Skov Olesen, Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Riley Davis.
Padraig Harrington has slipped back to two over par, alongside Cameron Smith. Mickelson, meanwhile, nearly holes a monster birdie putt with plenty of borrow, on the fifth. He will tap in for a par to stay at minus one.
08:47 AM BST
Westwood did not make that birdie putt on hole one
It was 10ft but he left it short. Probably fair to say that, had he putted a little better in some of his best performances at majors, he might have won one. Even a Masters, after five top 10 finishes in seven years. Still, a career he can be proud of. He’s not exactly done yet, either.
08:44 AM BST
KJ Choi bringing up the back of the field
Seven over after as many holes. He has gone bogey, par, bogey, par, bogey, triple bogey, bogey. He is in the field this week because he is the winner of the 2024 Senior Open. It is more than a decade since his last Open and nine years since his last major appearance, too.
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The 55-year-old has had a top 10 in 2007 at Carnoustie but few results to speak about other than that. Not sure that is going to change this weekend.
08:38 AM BST
First hole proves troublesome again
Not that it should have done. Canadian Mackenzie Hughes is in decent position on the fairway, but his left foot slips on his approach shot, sending it scuttling through the green at pace and into the deep rough at the back.
08:26 AM BST
Westwood with a wonderful opening approach shot
187 yards for Westwood on the first, which is playing very tough today. He plays a blinder, using the slope on the right of the green to then feed it back towards the hole. He probably has eight foot for an opening-hole birdie. Obviously you need to get the distance right as well, not just the direction and he did exactly that.
Scottish Open champion Gotterup comes from the rough and finds the green but is well short of the hole. Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin makes the first eagle of the 2025 championship on the seventh. He is now at one under and in a share of the lead after going birdie, par, eagle on the last three holes following a shaky start.
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His playing partner Nicolai Hojgaard is now the sole leader at two under after making birdie on the part-five seventh.
08:19 AM BST
Lee Westwood gets his opening round going
It’s not a driver, doesn’t look like a three-wood either. Possibly a hybrid. Decent swing and it’s down the right of the fairway, 240 yards long, just landing in the first cut before finding its way back to the short stuff.
08:14 AM BST
Mickelson fails to get out of bunker... and then holes his second attempt
Nightmare bunker shot for Mickelson. On the third he has a combination of a (shallow) fried egg that is up against the lip. He fails to get it out as the ball lands just on the downslope outside and then rolls back into the bunker.
He has a nicer shot this time to save his par... and he holes it! Out to the right of the hole and then it spins and rolls down the slope on the right back towards the hole! Pure Mickelson.
08:04 AM BST
Birdie for Mickelson on the second
A par five, so that is normally a good shout to get your score down. He was just off the green after two and then made a simple up-and-down to move to a share of the lead at this (very) early stage.
07:56 AM BST
Darren Clarke opens with a cracker
Driver out for the 2011 champion and he sends it down the right-hand side of the fairway. Well, pretty much down the middle.
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Meanwhile on the fifth Nicolai Hojgaard is having a bit of bother. A driveable hole but he took three to get on the green after putting his drive right in the rough. He does, though, sink a 19ft par putt. Well done.
07:48 AM BST
The opening tee shot is an interesting one
Out-of-bounds on the left and it all too easy to just tug the ball in that direction. Taylor Pendrith (below) did exactly that a little while ago and ended up with a double-bogey six.
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07:45 AM BST
Tricky conditions out there at the moment... but it could get worse
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There is a significant breeze here and conditions are definitely tricky. But the forecast is for the weather to deteriorate and storms are possible later. So it may well prove that the early starters today will have the advantage. An interesting stat is that for the last 25 Opens the winner has been within five shots of the lead after the first round. Portrush is no place to play catch up.
07:44 AM BST
How McIlroy fares in the Open
A long way to wait yet before he tees off but he will be the main attraction today and tomorrow at least, unless he really screws his first round up...
07:41 AM BST
Some of the morning groups’ tee times today
7:19 am Phil Mickelson, Daniel Van Tonder, Ryan Peake
7:52 am Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert
8:25 am Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Mackenzie Hughes
9:47 am Sam Burns, Aldrich Potgieter, Brooks Koepka
9:58 am Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Jon Rahm
10:09 am Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
Full day one (and day two) tee times can be found here.
07:38 AM BST
Mickelson opens with a par
He was just off the green on the right after two shots so makes a decent up-and-down by holing an eight-foot putt. The first hole is playing quite hard today.
Cameron Smith, 2022 champion, three putts the opening hole from, well, not remotely three-putt distance.
07:27 AM BST
Good morning
The first handful of groups are off in Country Antrim and it is two Danes that are leading the way: Nicolai Hojgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen who are both one under. Padraig Harrington, a two-time winner of the Open, was at one under very briefly but has dropped back to level par.
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07:21 AM BST
McIlroy fears opening hole at Royal Portrush
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Rory McIlroy says he is worried about suffering another nightmare first hole at the 153rd Open, but is adamant that, unlike six years ago here, he now has the game and mindset to fight his way back into the hunt.
McIlroy notoriously hit his opening tee-shot out of bounds in 2019 and racked up a quadruple-bogey eight. Clearly shell shocked, McIlroy collapsed to a tournament-wrecking 79 at the links where he shot a 61 as a 16-year-old. McIlroy still does not feel confident on the tee-box – his putting coach, Brad Faxon, revealed that he drove it OB on the par-four on both Monday and Tuesday – but he is certain that on this occasion he would be able to bounce back.
“I’ll stand on that first tee on Thursday and think about the first shot I hit in 2019 – and try not to do anything like that again,” the world No 2 said, recalling the two-iron that he pulled over the white stakes. “But even if I don’t get off to the best start, I know I have enough in the tank to claw my way back into contention by the end of the week which I didn’t have back in 2019.
“The spotlight is on me every time I play, but obviously it’s magnified in a week like this, especially here, and there will be pressure. But I am in a completely different scenario in terms of my life. I manage myself and my game much better. So even on my off days, I very rarely now fire a 79. It is more like a 72 or 73 and you don’t shoot your way out of the tournament. And that is what I’d do this time. Because being here – a Northern Irish golfer playing at a course I love in Northern Ireland with all this support – is what dreams are made of.”
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Rory McIlroy says he has the game to bounce back from a bad first round - Getty Images/David Fitzgerald
In truth, McIlroy could do without his late tee-time. He is due off alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas – two close friends – at 3.09pm. Not only will this mean he will be waiting all morning and through lunch - fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington hits the first shot at 6.35am – but with local storm warnings in place from 11am until nightfall, the afternoon starters are forecast to have the worst of the conditions.
McIlroy seems unfazed, however. He dismissed the notion that he has nothing to lose after completing the career grand slam at The Masters in April, so ending his 11-year major drought, but he does feel his experience allows him to better prepare and relax. “In theory, yes, but in practicality, probably not,” McIlroy replied when asked if his Augusta glory can free him up.
“I’m still the same fierce competitor, and I still want to win these events. Look, I’ve done everything I wanted to in the game, but at the same time I still want to do a lot more. This is my first time back in front of my home support since having achieved what I did in April and is going to be an amazing experience and I don’t want to let them down.
“But I am more of a well-rounded golfer than six years ago and am just so grateful to be in this position now, to be home and to have a second chance so soon, if you like and have the chance to win another major championship, another Claret Jug. I am really excited for the week.”
At the Masters, McIlroy was involved in a gripping tussle with Justin Rose that went all the way to a play-off. The veteran was complimented for his grace in defeat after McIlroy birdied the first extra hole and the champion’s heart evidently went out to Rose, too. Should he fail to prevail, he would like Rose to lift England’s first Claret Jug in 33 years.
“Honestly, if it’s not me then with what Rosey and I went through at Augusta, how close he has been, I would love to see him get a second major,” McIlroy said. “He has won a US Open and an Olympic gold. But I just think that second major would validate what a great career he has had. That would be a great storyline. But I want one of the Euros to win. Let’s keep the Jug this side of the Atlantic.”
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