Key events<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n And that\u2019s it for our first round coverage. An excellent day of golf, not the leader we expected, but hope for tomorrow and the weekend. Join Scott Murray and Dave Tindall in the morning and thanks for reading!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Bryson DeChambeau, by the way, opted to only score to the R&A. He said: \u201cI\u2019m having a lot of fun. If I can keep it going and give the crowd something to cheer for on Sunday, that\u2019s all I can ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n I watched him playing around with two putters after his round so maybe a different flat stick for him tomorrow afternoon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy on his opening round of 72: \u201cI\u2019ll start with the positives. I drove the ball incredibly well. I took the golf course on off the tee. Obviously with the positions that I put myself in off the tee, I feel like I obviously should have shot a better score. Played the hard holes well. Birdied 13, 15 and 18 on the back.\u201d<\/p>\n The bad stuff? \u201cThe two bogeys on the par-5s weren\u2019t great and I struggled to get the speed of the greens. I felt like they were very inconsistent. Struggled with that early on.\u201d<\/p>\n All in all? \u201cNot too far away. Hopefully we\u2019ll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning. Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n The plan for tonight? \u201cI\u2019m not going to go back to the house and analyze it too much tonight. Again, focus on the positives \u2013 drove the ball very, very well, hit some really good shots. I made too many sloppy mistakes and just need to cut those out.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Unheralded American Jackson Suber grabs the first round lead<\/p>\n All the talk this week has been that links experience would be essential. So what has happened? A man who has played only one and half rounds of links golf leads the championship. His name is not Jackson Superb, but it nearly is.<\/p>\n -5: Suber (F) Share<\/a><\/p>\n Counter to the last post is this thought: Not only did Padraig Harrington recover from T38 in 2008, in 1998 Mark O\u2019Meara was T62 after 18 holes -and he not only opened with a 72 like McIlroy has, he was also the reigning Masters champion as McIlroy is, and he succeeded at Royal Birkdale.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n This is interesting. Padraig Harrington was T38 after 18 holes when he won the Open at Royal Birkdale in 2008. But in the 16 Opens since then 14 eventual winners were T9 or better and all 16 were T18 or better. That would indicate that this year\u2019s champion is likely to be currently -2 or better.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rory McIlroy opens with a 72<\/p>\n A round of +2 is not what he was hoping for to start his campaign to win a second Claret Jug. But all is not lost because the current top three \u2013 Jackson Suber, Dan Brown and Sungjae Im \u2013 are unproven at elite level.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy has 4 feet 10 inches for birdie at 18 and a 72. It would be a minor win, but a win none the less. He makes it and offers a sad wave to the galleries. He\u2019s seven shots back of the pace setter, Jackson Suber. But guess what? Mark O\u2019Meara – like McIlroy this year the reigning \u2013 Masters champion, was seven shots back after 18 holes when he won at Royal Birkdale in 1998.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shane Lowry on his opening round of 69: \u201cScore-wise, I\u2019m pretty happy with that. The wind switch in the afternoon made the course play a little more difficult. It was important I didn\u2019t get caught leaderboard watching and see what the leader guys were doing. Hopefully we\u2019re going to get that nice easterly wind that they had tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n On the conditions: \u201cI pity the guys that have never played links golf coming here. You\u2019re hitting 4-irons off tees, and they\u2019re going over 300 yards. Sometimes it\u2019s hard to mentally and visually see that.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy launches a superb approach to 18. The pin is tucked beheind the two bunkers front left. It\u2019s the Seve pin from the final round in 1976. McIlroy, implausibly, takes a similar angle and the ball lands softly between the two traps before running down close to the hole. McIlroy waves to crowds but looks more than a little rueful.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy finds the first cut of rough from the 18th tee. Not long to go now in what has become a damp squib of a round. A big sigh from McIlroy. His only hope might be that the main contenders are, with the exception of Bryson DeChambeau and the veteran Francesco Molinari, not major championship winners (yet).<\/p>\n -5: Suber (F) Share<\/a><\/p>\n Read Ewan Murray on Dan Brown \u2013 the son of a pig farmer whose smoking habit might be banned by the weekend if conditions remain as they are.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s been a little tougher this afternoon that this morning. The AM starters averaged 71.00 and the PM starters currently average 71.64. One of the latter is Rory McIlroy and he\u2019s currently adding to that mean score. He doesn\u2019t find the par at 17 and is now +3 for the round. Not the day he was hoping for.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n How did Tommy Fleetwood fare in the first round? Andy Bull reports.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A trick shot is required from Rory McIlroy on 17. He was on one knee when he played his fourth from the greenside bunker. It\u2019s a good shot but leaves him 6 feet for par.<\/p>\n Up at 18 Shane Lowry completes a par at 18 and a round of 69.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Read Sean Ingle on Mateo Pulcini \u2013 the only Argentinian in the Open field who imitated his nation\u2019s footballing celebrations after sinking a 40-foot putt on 18.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy\u2019s second shot at 17 has found just about the only green grass in the North-West of England. Perhaps that explains why his third shot has airmailed the green and found a bunker. \u201cKnifed it,\u201d says Wayne Riley on TV. \u201cIs this Rory McIlroy or an imposter?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kristoffer Reitan on the conditions after his 69: \u201cI hit my 3-iron about 320 yards on 17. So it was difficult at some points, but I\u2019ve got a good caddie on my bag.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy unpacked an OK drive at 17 and now has 194 yards to the green. He changes club and then \u2026 unleashes a horrid hook. Marshals and fans scatter. One fellow stumbles away, less because he\u2019s taken a blow, more because he\u2019s so eager to avoid one. Messy. Again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n No scrambled par for Morikawa at 18. He slips to -2. A frustrating end to the day but a decent effort from the 2021 champion whose links land efforts since his triumph have mostly been underwhelming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A lovely scene at 18. The sun is dipping low over the hospitality units to the left, the grandstands and the famous clubhouse frame the green. Collin Morikawa\u2019s drive has found rough and his second shot is straight but a scuffler. It pulls up short. He\u2019ll need and up and down to stay -3.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n No eagle for Shane Lowry at 17. He had a funny putt that had to rise above a shoulder and then drop towards the hole. It pulls up short. But a nice birdie gets him to -1.<\/p>\n Behind, Rory McIlroy has 11 feet for birdie at 16. A nice putt but it slides by. He remains +2.<\/p>\n Shane Lowry on the 17th. Photograph: Adam Vaughan\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.05 EDT<\/p>\n Norway\u2019s Kristoffer Reitain made a birdie at 9 and parred every other hole. A first round 69 is a great start and he has a bit of form on links golf. He was T13 at Renaissance last year, T3 at Trump Aberdeen and T5 in the Dunhill Links Championship.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Collin Morikawa was greenside in two blows at the par-5 17th. But he can\u2019t get up and down for birdie. The 2021 Open champion remains -3 with 18 to play. Cameron Young is on the same score, but he has 17 to come.<\/p>\n On that very hole Shane Lowry unleashes a fairway wood from the short grass and gives himself about 25 feet for eagle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Superb timing from me. You praise a golfer and what happens? He makes bogey. Sorry Xander Schauffele. Back to -1 after 15.<\/p>\n Rory McIlroy\u2019s tee shot at 15 was excellent and he has 15 feet for birdie \u2013 and in it pops! A bit of a daft round really. But also classic McIlroy who often makes the impossible look simple and the simple look impossible. Good energy from the galleries. Maybe it can prompt a late revival. A bit of bounce in the step \u2013 another classic McIlroy trait, of course.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n In striking contrast to his playing partner, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schaufelle is -2. It\u2019s classic Schauffele. He just remains a remarkable accumulator of major championship quality finishes with 29 top 20s in 27 starts. His method? \u201cKeep grinding,\u201d he said at the US Open last month. \u201cJust keep grinding and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n A Shane Lowry birdie at 16 gets him back to level-par with the par-5 17th to come.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Andrew Coltart is suggesting that Rory McIlroy should throw a club to get his blood pumping. Coltart might have forgotten there is a new code of conduct in operation. Laura Davies wonders if hitting a caddie counts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It gets worse for Rory McIlroy at 14. Wayne Riley talks him up again, but the chip, which needs to negotiate a rise, only just goes far enough. The Northern Irishman now has 22 feet for par. It\u2019s all very messy.<\/p>\n The par putt misses and this is turning into an irritating day. He even stands away from he bogey putt, rattled by a gallery noise. He does make it, however.<\/p>\n He\u2019s now eight shots off the pace and was six shots off it after 18 holes when the Open was last at Royal Birkdale in 2017. That time he rebounded to finish fourth, but McIlroy now wants to add wins to his major championship tallies not top fives.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The 14th is not going well for Rory McIlroy. From the rough he found a plugged lie in a bunker 83 yards short of the green. He thrashed the ball out, clipping the rivetted edge, and the ball has slipped over the back. His birdie attempt exists \u2013 but from 17 yards in the semi rough.<\/p>\n Rory McIlroy chips out of the bunker on the 14th. Photograph: David Davies\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.41 EDT<\/p>\n Tom Kim has opened with a level-par 70 after a bogey at 18. \u201cI did well,\u201d he said afterwards. \u201cIt\u2019s a major championship, so the golf course is going to be tough. Obviously the wind in the afternoon is blowing. I felt like I did a pretty good job, low stress. Just a few more birdies would have been nice, but overall, it\u2019s a decent start.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And here are the scores on the doors:<\/p>\n -5: Suber (F) Share<\/a><\/p>\n As things stand, two Americans are most like to change matters at the top of the leaderboard. Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young are both -3 through 15 and 13 holes respectively. A big 90 minutes for both.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Friend of the leader and fellow traveller (see 19.09), Pierceson Coody, has had a good day, too. He has made a bogey at 18, but a 67 is a strong start to the week.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Yikes. Rory McIlroy has stopped missing short putts and now Shane Lowry has taken up the (very much unwanted) baton. He\u2019s four putted 14 \u2013 and three of them were from 9 feet. The prospect of an eagle to a bogey in the blink (or four) of an eye.<\/p>\n McIlroy\u2019s drive at the same hole has found the rough.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Jackson Suber might be new to Europe, but he\u2019s enjoying it. \u201cThe golf is really cool, and just the towns, how the train system works. We went into Liverpool the other day with my fiance and Pierceson Coody and his wife, so that was really cool to see a European city and enjoy that.\u201d<\/p>\n What about the course? \u201cI watched a YouTube video on every hole at Birkdale on Friday last week.\u201d<\/p>\n The great Walter Hagen would appreciate the former sentiment, but be bewildered by the latter. Warning to Jackson for Friday, by the way \u2013 there\u2019s the threat of a rail strike.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tremendous stuff from surprise first round leader Jackson Suber: \u201cThis is my fifth day here. Monday was my first round of links golf, so I\u2019ve played 27 holes before I played the first round today. I\u2019ve never been to Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Good news Rory McIlroy fans! He has 24 feet for birdie at 13 \u2026 and he makes it. A shake of the head for the man himself, but he\u2019ll want to keep his head focussed because he has two par-5s to come. He\u2019s now +2 for the day and has a chance to card 70 \u2013 or maybe better? An outside chance of the latter.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Matt Fitzpatrick is +1 through 12 and grinding. In recent years he\u2019s revealed himself as something of a comedy straight man to his wife Katherine. In many of her social media videos she\u2019s goofing about and Matt remains totally unmoved (for effect, I add). They\u2019re a highly unlikely golfing Morecambe and Wise act.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Last week\u2019s winner of the Scottish Open, Korea\u2019s Tom Kim, is level-par through 16 holes and he has crashed two blows down the par-5 17th to 10 feet. Can he make an eagle-3? Alas, no. But a birdie gets him into red numbers and would represent a good start off last week\u2019s drama.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rory McIlroy leaves himself 4 feet 9 inches at 12 for par. It\u2019s right in his \u2026 what\u2019s the opposite of a sweet spot?! But he makes it. Hopefully that knocks the bad vibes into shape and he can tidy up this card over the next 90 minutes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.47 EDT<\/p>\n Another missed green for Rory McIlroy at the par-3 12th. He\u2019s found only seven of 12 greens in regulation today and that fits with the last Open visit to Royal Birkdale, in 2017. That year the Northern Irishman recorded his worst GIR ranking in any Open where he made the cut.<\/p>\n Photograph: Greig Cowie\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.04 EDT<\/p>\n Shane Lowry is ticking along nicely through 12 on -2. But he has 20 feet for par at 13 and it just slips by the hole. Frustration for the Irishman, but he\u2019s in a good position with the two par-5s to come.<\/p>\n
-4: Im (F), Brown (F)
-3: Detry (F), MacIntyre (F), F. Molinari (F), Smalley (F), DeChambeau (F), Gerard (F), Daffue (F), Coody (F), Young (F)<\/p>\n
-4: Im (F), Brown (F)
-3: Detry (F), MacIntyre (F), F. Molinari (F), Smalley (F), DeChambeau (F), Gerard (F), Daffue (F), Coody (F), Young (F)<\/p>\n
-4: Im (F), Brown (F)
-3: Detry (F), MacIntyre (F), F. Molinari (F), Smalley (F), DeChambeau (F), Gerard (F), Daffue (F), Coody (F), Morikawa (15), Young (13)<\/p>\n