JB Holmes leads the way by a shot at Royal Portrush after Rory McIlroy all but ended his hopes of winning an Open Championship on home soil after an eight-over 79 in his opening round.
The Northern Irishman, who played a significant role in bringing the Championship to the course where he set the record at 16, began with a quadruple bogey eight on the first and ended with a triple bogey, ruining a slight mid-round recovery.
Darren Clarke lead the home favourites out early, hitting the opening shot of the 148th Championship, and held the lead for a while before dropping back and finishing the first round at level par. Graeme McDowell, at Portrush native, looked good before a late collapse.
It was a man from south of the border who set the mark for the afternoon starters, as Shane Lowry held the clubhouse lead at four under before, hours later, Jon Rahm finally managed to surpass him at the top of the leaderboard.
The Spaniard, who won the Irish Open at Lahinch two weeks ago, dropped back alongside those at four under, which by then included American JB Holmes, with a first bogey of the day at the 11th. He claimed that shot back at the first time of asking at the par five 12, however, with a two-putt birdie.
His lead did not last for long. After being joined at the top by Holmes, who began the day with a bogey five on the first before recovering with back-to-back birdies on two and three and a back nine at three under, Rahm bogeyed the par four 15th and lost his touch a little over the remaining holes. Rahm bogeyed the last to finish two back from Holmes.
Tiger Woods, who hinted earlier in the week that he was not feeling at his best, looked uneasy throughout his round and ended 12 shots behind the lead at seven over.
There was an early ace from Argentine, Emiliano Grillo, while 2001 Open Champion David Duval tried to make McIlroy feel better with an eventual first round of 91. The American looked to have made 15 on the par five seventh having played a ball which was not his. The score for that hole, which came not long after an eight on the fifth, was then adjusted to 13, before it was finally confirmed as 14 after his round had finished.
Three Englishmen are two shots back after Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton all shot three under rounds of 68.
Here is the leaderboard after day one of the 148th Open Championship...
