And we wrap up with the final significant action at the top of the leader board. Rafa Cabrera Bello bogeys 18, while Bubba Watson pars. They’re -3 and -2 respectively. And that’s me done until tomorrow morning: join us here from 8am! Nighty night.
-5: Spieth, Koepka, Kuchar
-4: Casey, Schwartzel
-3: Poulter, Thomas, Bland, Connelly, Hoffman, Cabrera-Bello
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No birdies for Phil Mickelson today, then, as a 12-foot effort on 18 breaks off to the right. He signs for a three-over 73. Marc Leishman passes up a good chance for birdie too, but the 2015 runner up will be a lot happier with his 69.
Jon Rahm pars the last. I’d like to tell you what he went round in, but nobody seems to know. He was level par after 16, but a two-shot penalty might he heading his way for an as-yet-unspecified transgression on 17. He doesn’t look particularly pleased. He escaped unpunished from a brouhaha over a misplaced marker during the final round of the Irish Open; it doesn’t look as though he’s been given the benefit of the doubt here. More on this soon, perhaps. Lee Westwood meanwhile writes his name at the bottom of a 71, while Rafa Cabrera-Bello fails to hit a short birdie putt on 17 and remains at -4, one off the lead.
Well, what an absurd round of golf this has been from Rory McIlroy. Out in 39, he was an absolute shambles on the front nine. It could have been a couple of shots worse, as well. He genuinely looked a broken man. But he’s back in 32, having boomed his drive down 18 and eased a wedge to 12 feet. In goes the birdie putt, his fourth of the back nine. That speaks volumes for his character, not least because he could have easily plundered a couple more birdies, and maybe turned one into an eagle, during that restorative run. You’ll not see a weirder 18 holes for a good while. But that’s a lopsided 71 and ... whisper it ... at +1 he’s only six shots off the lead, and no longer out of this tournament. He needs a great day tomorrow, of course - and with the wind up in the afternoon, the weather could be his friend. Par meanwhile for Dustin Johnson: he’s signing for a much more nondescript 71. And a birdie for Charl Schwartzel, who signs for a brilliant 66. He’s -4, one off the lead.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (F)
-4: Casey (F), Schwartzel (F), Cabrera-Bello (16)
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Another birdie for Rafa Cabrero-Bello, this time at 16. The new Scottish Open champion is one off the lead at -4!
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Our man out on the links, Mark Tallentire, has been keeping an eye on the resurgent Ian Poulter. Here’s his report.
Daniel Berger is one dimple away from birdie at 18. Just didn’t quite hit it. But he’s signing for an excellent 68 nevertheless. His young compatriot Xander Schauffele, meanwhile, is finally getting a links lesson. After that breezy start, with birdies at 3, 4 and 5, he’s suffered bogeys at 7, 10, 12 and now 13. He’s clanked down the leader board to +1. An up-and-down Open debut all right.
Hot action on 17. Charl Schwartzel is lucky to skip over the bunker to the left with his second. He putts up from a swale to a couple of feet, and tidies up for birdie. He’s -3. Dustin Johnson’s second ends in a valley to the right of the green; he lags up to three feet, but the short birdie putt horseshoes out. He stays at +1. And Rory would have had eagle, after clacking his second pin high to 15 feet, but he doesn’t hit the putt. Still, a birdie, and he’s +2.
Birdie for Rafa Cabrera-Bello on the par-five 15th: he’s -3. Trouble meanwhile for Jon Rahm at 16: he’s one foot in a greenside bunker, one out. He can’t get anywhere near the hole, and the resulting bogey drops him back to level par.
Kevin Na responds to that double by firing his tee shot at 14 over the flag, and curling a right-to-left 20 footer into the cup. He’s back to -2. Daniel Berger meanwhile is putting together a fine back nine. Having gone out in 35, the 24-year-old American has birdied 10, 12 and now 17. He’s -2 for his round.
Back-to-back birdies for Jon Rahm, the latest at 15. A thoroughly average round is threatening to turn into a good one: he’s -1. Up ahead, McIlroy leaves his approach to 16 short of the green. But a fine wedge clipped up to six feet allows him to scuttle away with par. He’s still +3. Kevin Na, who went out in 31, drops a couple at 13 after a wild drive. He’s back down at -1. Bubba Watson picks up a shot on 14 to move to -1.
A par for Charley Hoffman down the last. He signs for a three-under 67 which threatened to be a whole lot better. But that’ll do for the opening day of a major.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (F)
-4: Casey (F)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Connelly (F), Hoffman (F), Na (12)
Here’s Kevin Mitchell again ... this time with his report on a difficult day for the local hero Tommy Fleetwood.
McIlroy bombs a drive down the par-five 15th, then sends a draw pin high to 25 feet. If this eagle putt goes in, things will look slightly different. It dies off to the right before the very last turn. A second birdie on the back nine, then, and he’s +3. It’s still not ideal, but he no longer looks the broken man who was traipsing around the front nine in abject despair. Workaday par for Dustin Johnson, who stays at +1. Charl Schwartzel very nearly rolls in a 15-footer for birdie, but he remains at -2. Meanwhile a birdie for Jon Rahm on 14: he’s back to level par.
Charley Hoffman found himself in a world of pain down the left of 17, but after a little bit of hacking and a lot of thought, sends his fourth shot to ten feet. A chance to escape with a precious par. He can’t make the putt, though, and that’s back-to-back bogeys: he’s -3. Meanwhile on 18, par for Richie Ramsay, who signs for a 68. And Matt Kuchar sends his second whistling through the back. A long putt lagged up to a couple of feet, and that’s a par. What a strange card he’s got: out in 29, back in 36, nine pars in a row. That’s a splendid 65, which gives him a share of the lead with Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (F)
-4: Casey (F)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Connelly (F), Hoffman (17), Na (11)
Bogey for Big Dustin on 14, after he sends his tee shot into sand to the left of the green. He’s +1. Rory’s tee shot, a lovely gentle high fade, lands 12 feet shy of the flag. A great chance for birdie, but he leaves it short, the ball dying off to the right. Another par. This round could, of course, be a whole lot worse: he was that bad over the opening nine. But it could be a little better too, had a couple of these putts on the back nine dropped. He’s +4.
Matt Kuchar really should be in the lead on his own. He finds the greenside bunker at 17 in two, and splashes out to six feet. But it’s a tricky downhill dribbler, and he lets it slip by. He stays at -5. Up on the 18th, Adam Scott pars to sign for a one-under 69. Rickie Fowler drops a shot to end with a one-over 71. And Paul Casey two-putts from distance for a par which sets the seal on a most agreeable 66. He’s 40 years old tomorrow; this Open Championship might not be a bad substitute for a birthday party.
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A bogey for David Lipsky at the last, but he’s still signing for a 68. Charley Hoffman couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker at 16, dropping a shot to slip back to -4 and out of the joint leadership. And it’s been up and down for Lee Westwood: he very nearly lost his ball in a bush down 11, hacked out and somehow limited the damage to a bogey. Then he grabbed the shot back with birdie at 12. He’s level again.
McIlroy has been threatening to repair the damage of the front nine. After that birdie at 11, he’s left himself with makeable birdie putts at 12 and 13, but both have missed by a whisker. He’s still +4 and in need of a strong finish if he’s to retain any hope of one of the great comebacks. His partner Charl Schwartzel is going along nicely, though: a majestic scramble from up a bank at the back of 12 for par, followed by a fine drive at 13, wedge to six feet, and birdie. He’s -2.
Jason Day’s 1980s high-top shoes float across the 18th green. He’s just rattled in a big birdie putt to move into red figures: a one-under 69. His playing partner Sergio Garcia matches the feat: after carding bogey-double bogey on 15 and 16, he’s done very well to haul himself back to +3 with birdies at the closing two holes. Richie Ramsay birdies 16 to move to -2. And Paul Casey creams his second at 17 into the heart of the green. Though he can’t make the eagle putt from 30 feet, birdie will be more than satisfactory. He’s -4 and looking in good nick to enjoy his 40th birthday tomorrow!
Our man at Royal Birkdale, Kevin Mitchell, has just been speaking to Andrew Johnson. He asked him whether he could switch off from the crowd and get more focused on the golf. And this was his answer...
I can’t do it. Honestly, if I stay that focused for five hours, I’ll have a headache after nine holes, seriously. And I just like to go out and hit my shot, you know. Go out and switch on, hit my shot and once we have time, we have four or five minutes, and walk down to the ball and stuff like that. So I just like to relax. And if people shout, I’m going to wave at them and have a good time along the way.
There’s nothing to dislike about Beef, is there? Allow us to dream for a moment. Imagine him walking down 18 on Sunday afternoon with a four-shot lead. Imagine the noise. It’d be like the time Eyjafjallajökull erupted. Air travel would be disrupted for weeks.
Charley Hoffman joins the leaders, sending his third into 15 to four feet, and teasing in the tricky birdie putt. This leaderboard is an American tour de force!
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (15), Hoffman (15)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Connelly (F), Lipsky (17), Casey (16), Na (8)
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Jon Rahm turned in 35, but gets back to level par immediately by sliding in a 20 footer on 10. His playing partner Lee Westwood has been fairly quiet: just a bogey at 7 breaking up a run of pars. But he sends his second at 10 to a couple of feet, and rolls it in for birdie. He’s back to level par too. Though he’s just wanged his tee shot at 11 into thick muck down the left. Rickie Fowler clips his second at 16 to a couple of feet, a marvellous approach. The birdie brings him back to level par, having reached the turn in 32 only to bogey 10, 12 and 15. And a fourth birdie of the day for Paul Casey, on 16, and he rises to -3.
Birdie for Rory McIlroy! It looks as though he’s driven into a bunker down the left of 11, but his ball bounces off the shoulder and back into the fairway. He takes advantage by sticking his second to five feet, and knocking in the putt. He’s +4. It’s a long way back, but maybe that’ll kick start a little something, if only to salvage the four-time major winner’s pride. He still looks like he’s smarting quite a lot.
Another birdie for Charley Hoffman, this time at the par-three 14th, having landed his tee shot five feet from the hole. He’s -4. Phil Mickelson reaches the turn in 36: +2 and no birdies, which is not standard behaviour. And it’s a double bogey at 16 for the Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who drops to +5. He’ll always have Augusta, of course, but there remains a Claret Jug shaped hole on his CV. Not this year. Oh Sergio. Meanwhile up on 18, Ernie Els drops only his second stroke of the day, and has to settle for a two-under 68.
Jason Day should have quite the spring in his step, given the outsized basketball-style golf shoes he’s rocking. He still manages to trudge off the 16th green, having missed a ten-foot par putt that drops him back to level par. The 2015 PGA champ has never quite got going today: a couple of birdies here, a couple of bogeys there. No real rhythm or momentum to his round. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy’s drive at 10 flies into the crowd down the right. He gets a break on trampled ground, and lashes an iron into the heart of the green. Two putts, and that’s his fifth par of the day, to go alongside the five bogeys. Regulation golf, which is about as good as he can manage right now. He’s a picture of frustration. As is Martin Laird, who bogeys the last and has to make do with a 68.
Birdie at 17 for Martin Laird, who moves into the big pack at -3. David Lipsky responds to a bogey at 14 with birdie at 15. And an up and down from sand for Erine Els at 17; it’s only a par, though, after some bother off the tee.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (14)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Connelly (F), Laird (17), Els (17), Lipsky (15), Hoffman (13), Schauffele (5)
McIlroy has steadied the ship, to be fair: a third par in a row and he’s reached the turn in 39 strokes. But he needs something special on the back nine if he’s to make any sort of impact on this championship. If we’re being honest, surviving for the weekend is probably the height of his ambition now. His playing partner Dustin Johnson reaches the turn in level par, 34 strokes. His par putt on 9 takes a look at all 360 degrees of the cup before dropping. Meanwhile another birdie for Xander Schauffele, his third in a row, at 5. He’s -3 and cruising round.
Xander Schauffele tied for fifth at the US Open, and recently won the Greenbrier with one of the shots of the season so far, that tee shot at the Old White’s 18th to a couple of feet. The 23-year-old from San Diego is the real deal all right, and so far making light work of links golf on his Open debut. He’s birdied 3 and 4 to quickly move to -2, alongside Kevin Na, who has birdied 2 and 4 in his slightly slower style. The news isn’t quite so good for fellow Californian Phil Mickelson, who follows bogey on 6 with another at 7, having been plugged in a bunker at the latter, unable to get close to save himself. He’s +2, and a 47-year-old fairytale is already beginning to look more like a pipe dream.
Some admin. Hideki Matsuyama finished up with a 68, as did Sung Kang. Austin Connnelly parred the last to sign for a 67. And Robert Streb ended up with a 69, as did Thomas Pieters. Meanwhile Marc Leishman makes a slightly fortunate birdie on the par-three 7th: if the hole hadn’t got in the way of his 25-foot putt, it’d be halfway to Southport now. He’s level par, and a good outside shout for this tournament if he can hang on in there, having a good record in both the Open and recent majors in general.
The 2002 and 2012 champion Ernie Els is going very nicely indeed. The veteran South African reached the turn in 33, and now he’s just birdied 15 and 16 to move to -3. But Rory McIlroy continues to suffer. His tee shot at 8 finds a gorse bush to the left of the fairway. He can only hack out, his ball squirting a few yards up the hole, still in the rough. His third finds the middle of the green, leaving a 20-footer for his par. He trundles that in, and remains at +5, though it’s a scary thought that, without two big putts on 1 and now 8, he’d be +7 already. The round of applause that greets this unlikely scrambled par is a mixture of encouragement and sympathy.
The impressive young debutant Austin Connelly bounces back from that double at 16 with birdie at 17. He’s back to -3, one par away from besting the 68 of fellow debutant Stuart Manley, 18 years his senior. Meanwhile the 1999 champion Paul Lawrie has birdied 5 and 8, to move to -2. He’s the last Scot to win the Open. The 48-year-old from Aberdeen couldn’t, could he? Well, just in case not, he’s got a couple of compatriots nearby, with a view to helping the cause: Martin Laird at -2 through 16, and Richie Ramsay at -1 after 12.
McIlroy finally stems the bleeding, splashing out from the sand on 7 to a couple of feet, and knocking in the par putt. That’s only his second par of the day: he remains at +5. But right now, he’ll take that. He looks utterly sick as he stomps off, that uneasy sport star’s mix of embarrassment and anger. Dustin Johnson appears much more at ease with himself, though he’s just dropped a shot at the same hole, unable to get up and down from sand. It’s all about context. The big man’s level par. But there’s better news back down the course, where Jon Rahm wipes out bogey on 4 with a long rake for birdie across 6. He’s back to level par.
David Lipsky, the 29-year-old from Las Vegas, arrows his tee shot at 12 straight at the flag. It’s as good a tee shot as we’ve seen there all day, and he’s tapping in for his third birdie of the round so far. He’s -3. Paul Casey trundles a hot putt ten feet past the hole on 11, and the mistake costs him his first dropped shot of the day. He’s back to -2. Rory sends his tee shot at the par-three 7th into sand guarding the front, and there’s not much green to play with. Although being shortsided doesn’t faze Phil Mickelson: he’s been quiet so far, and his par at 5 is his fifth in a row. But it’s a spectacular one, a shot flipped out of a high-lipped bunker and gently rolled to 18 inches. What an up and down to scramble par!
Rafa Cabrera-Bello won the Scottish Open last weekend. Back-to-back victories on tour don’t happen often. Then again, Phil Mickelson won the Open in 2013 after lifting the Scottish version, so it can be done. And the Spanish star has started out with birdies at 1 and 3. He’s -2 ... alongside Austin Connelly, who makes a costly double bogey at 16. Meanwhile it’s getting very difficult to watch Rory McIlroy now. His tee shot at 6 bleeds off to the right of the fairway, his second is flashed into trouble to the left of the green, his chip isn’t anywhere near close, and his best shot of the hole, his desperate attempt to save par from 15 feet, horseshoes out. That’s his fourth bogey in a row, and he’s +5 already.
Oh Matt Kuchar! He eases his wedge at the flag on 10, but doesn’t hit his straight and relatively easy birdie putt. One more turn, and that’d have been his sixth birdie of the day. As things stand, this is where we are.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F), Kuchar (10)
-4: Connelly (15)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Casey (10), Hoffman (9)
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Actually, the way Rory McIlroy is going right now, he could well be bothering O’Meara’s mark too. He drives into thick rubbish down the right of 5, and looks to have redeemed himself with a mighty hoick into the heart of the green. But three tentative putts later, and that’s his fourth bogey in the first five holes. His head’s gone. Time for some desperately needed positivity ... and here’s the very man! Beef! He sends his second into the middle of the par-five 17th, then rolls a 40-footer over the ridge running across the green and into the cup for eagle! He’s -1, and if Birkdale had a roof, it’d be helicoptering somewhere over Formby right now. Beef!
Charley Hoffman - who started out with an eagle, holing his iron from the rough to the right of 1 - has kept on keeping on. And a bogey at 6 didn’t stop him: he’s knocked in back-to-back birdie putts, and a player who has shown well at both the Masters and US Open in recent years is looking to make his mark on the oldest tournament too. He’s -3. Meanwhile down the other end of the leader board: Todd Hamilton, whose 2004 win arguably marks the nadir of this grand old tournament. Unless you’re counting Ben Curtis the year before. He’s +9 through 16 holes, and needs a solid finish if he’s not to outdo poor old Mark O’Meara at +11. O’Meara was at least out in the worst of the weather, first thing.
Another birdie for Austin Connelly, this time at 15. This is a magnificent display by the young debutant. And here’s some showing by the wily old campaigner Matt Kuchar: birdie at 9, which means he joins the leaders at -5 and has reached the turn in 29 strokes! That’s one off the all-time Open record set by Denis Durnian here in 1983. It matches a total set by several players, from Tom Haliburton at Lytham in 1963 to David Lingmerth at St Andrews in 2015. Kuchar may be interested to know that Ian Baker-Finch shot 29 over the front nine here for his fourth round in 1991, and of course went on to lift the Claret Jug. Out in 29!
Sung Kang has been threatening to do something special all year. He should have won the Shell Houston Open, leading by three going into the final round, but gave up his advantage to Russell Henley. He started quickly at the Quicken Loans, as well, only to fall away over the weekend. The 30-year-old Korean is at it again: he’s finished with birdies at 16, 17 and 18 to sign for a three-under 67. Meanwhile moving to three over: Rory McIlroy, who dumps his tee shot at the par-three 4th into sand on the right, splashes out to nowhere in particular, and misses the 15-foot par putt he left himself. It’s all viewed in a queasy silence by the gallery, who must be wondering what’s happened to the brilliant former world number one. He’s seriously out of sorts. Unless he snaps out of this funk quickly, he’ll be missing his third cut in a row - and his second in a major, having gone home early at Erin Hills. Plenty of time to turn all this round, of course. But the early signs aren’t good.
Another dropped shot for McIlroy, who sends his second at 3 over the back, then opts to putt through the swale, to little positive benefit. He leaves his ball 12 feet short of the cup, and the par putt sails past the left. A miserable start from a player who will be glad to see his favourite track Quail Hollow next month. He doesn’t look very content right now. The whole body-language package is not convincing at all: face on, shoulders slumped, head hanging, club trailing behind him in half-interested fashion. Compare and contrast to Jordan Spieth, who is full of confidence coming off the back of that stunning win at the Travellers, and looked positive from the get-go.
Richard Bland, a veteran at 44, has only played in the Open once before. Coincidentally, that was at Birkdale, in 1998. He missed the cut that year, posting rounds of 71 and 78. This time round, he’s doing rather better: birdies at 16, 17 and 18 have wheeched him up the leader board to -3. A good chance for the Masters champion Sergio Garcia to reach the turn in level par, but he doesn’t hit a short left-t0-right curler, and he’s still +1. Adam Scott knocks in his second birdie of the day at 8; he’s -2. And there are back-to-back birdies for Jhonattan Vegas at 4 and 5; he’s -2.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F)
-4: Kuchar (7)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Bland (F), Connelly (14)
McIlroy finds the middle of the 2nd green with a decent, if not brilliant, approach. He’s got half a chance of repairing the opening-hole damage from 20 feet, but his putt shaves the left of the cup. He remains at +1. But the world number one, Dustin Johnson, caresses his second shot to three feet, and knocks in the putt to move to -1. Up on 13, Austin Connelly, born in Texas but representing Canada, makes a long one: his third birdie in five holes, and the 20-year-old friend of Jordan Spieth is -3.
Rickie Fowler finds the heart of the par-three 7th and rolls in an 18-footer for birdie. A perfect response to dropping one at 6, and he’s back to -1 having started well with birdie at 4. Back on 1, the new Irish Open champion Jon Rahm splits the fairway, then sends a dismal wedge miles left of the green, an amateur error. It’d be good to see an amateur swish a chip out of the clump of grass Rahm found himself in to two feet, mind you. He scrambles par in the professional style. Meanwhile up on 18, James Hahn - who wasn’t even in this tournament until Brandt Snedeker pulled out late on - rolls in a monster for a birdie and a 68. That would have been even better had he not doubled 15. Talk about grasping an opportunity with both hands.
Rory appears to have taken succour from merely making bogey at 1. He bombs his tee shot at 2 straight down the middle. Jason Day lands his approach to 8 a couple of inches from the cup. That’s a kick-in birdie, and it moves him back to level par for the tournament after back-to-back bogeys at 6 and 7. (He had birdied 3.) And there’s another birdie for Matt Kuchar, who rattles in a putt from just off the green at the difficult par-four 6th! That’s three on the bounce, and his fourth today! He’s a shot behind his compatriots Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, and four of the top five early leaders are from the US... actually scrub that, because Paul Casey, having birdied 1 and 4, has now added a third at 7. This round is shaping up to be an early birthday present for Casey, who turns 40 tomorrow.
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F)
-4: Kuchar (6)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Casey (7)
McIlroy pushes his second shot wide right of the 1st green. He’s over a cart path and into a bush. He smacks out, his ball running all the way across the green, past the flag, and down a swale on the other side. This is in danger of turning into an ugly start for the 2014 champion. Yep: he opts to putt through the valley, and doesn’t hit it at all! He’s very lucky his ball doesn’t roll back towards his feet. As it is, it just about hangs onto the fringe. To complete a preposterous hole, he then holes the 20-footer for bogey. As for his partners? Dustin’s second ends up just short; he nearly knocks his third in, but par will do. Schwartzel meanwhile finds the heart of the green, and knocks in a 40-footer for birdie!
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Brooks Koepka fails to convert a decent birdie chance on the last, but he’s signing for a brilliant 65. The US Open champ is our co-leader. Hideki Matsuyama meanwhile gets up and down from sand at 18 for par, and a two-under 68. And it’s a pretty miserable 76 for the local hero Tommy Fleetwood, after bogeys at 16 and 17. Meanwhile there are back to back birdies for Matt Kuchar at 4 and now 5. He’s -3 already, a fast start. He’s always there or thereabouts, Kuchar, usually just a bit too far behind the leaders on Sunday morning to get seriously involved. Maybe he’ll be better placed for one of his trademark Sunday charges this time?
-5: Spieth (F), Koepka (F)
-3: Poulter (F), Thomas (F), Kuchar (5)
Here comes Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut both in Ireland and Scotland. He could be doing with changing up a couple of gears. Out comes the 1-iron, and he finds the top of the grassy knoll to the left of the fairway. He’ll be OK from there, the ball sitting up nicely. Dustin Johnson takes iron off the tee too, and he’s in the thick stuff down the right. Finally Charl Schwartzel - six majors between these lads - follows McIlroy up the hill. This is going to be a fascinating round for McIlroy, one way or another.
Brooks Koepka finds the bunker guarding the front right of the 17th green, then splashes gracefully out and into the cup for eagle. The US Open champion joins Jordan Spieth at the top of the leader board at -5! His playing partner Hideki Matsuyama sets himself up for birdie, but pulls the short putt and remains at -2. Up on 18, Justin Thomas pars for a three-under 67, while Justin Rose concludes a miserable back nine with bogey: a promising round has dissolved into a one-over 71. Meanwhile the third member of that group, the 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, ends with a par. But. He’s got a habit of starting majors poorly, then posting three fine rounds to nearly win. If he could get his act together from the get-go, he’d have at least three majors by now, maybe more. However ... well, here he is today, carding 78 after dropping six shots in three holes, 13 through 15. Even by his standards he’s left himself too much to do.
Thanks to Mr Burnton, a gentleman and a scholar. And that was some round by Jordan Spieth, huh? A shame that last putt didn’t go in: a 64 would have been fair reward for a battle in poor conditions this morning, and a masterclass of steady, smart links golf. A low first round doesn’t necessarily mean much at the Open - just ask Rory McIlroy, who shot 63 at St Andrews in 2010, then followed it up with an 80 - and Spieth might not get the best of the weather tomorrow, with heavy rain expected later in the day when he’s out and about. But 65’s a start, isn’t it. And few would bet against Spieth being involved come the business end of play on Sunday.
Spieth misses his birdie putt at the last! It was one of his easier putts of the day, but it slipped just to the left of the hole. So he heads to the clubhouse at -5 after a fabulous round of golf.
And with that, this time I really am gone and Scott Murray really is back. Email him here. Bye!
Koepka drops a shot on the 16th, while Justin Thomas becomes the latest player to eagle the 17th (there’s a helpful wind blowing the balls straight down the fairway, you see), which places both players level with Ian Poulter on -3 and gives Spieth a two-shot lead.
Spieth hits a beauty of an approach at the 18th, and could grab himself one final birdie to end the day in style.
John Daly, meanwhile, appears to have three legs. Despite this competitive advantage, he’s at +6 after 10:
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Jordan Spieth pulls clear again at the 17th! He birdies to go -5, and heads over to the 18th green in the lead. Meanwhile James Hahn, who was on -3 alongside Poulter, double-bogeys the par-5 15th to slip back into the peloton:
-5: Spieth (17)
-4: Koepka (15)
-3: Poulter (F)
More hole analysis - not that kind, you filthy rotters - suggests that the final four holes contain the easiest, the second easiest (those two par-fives) the second hardest and the third hardest (the sixth being the hardest of all).
Justin Rose started the day beautifully, birdying two of the first three holes, but there has been just one more since, and three bogeys. He’s at level par after 15, and looks in need of a sit down, a hot drink and a nice plate of biscuits.
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And an eagle at the first! From rough on the right just a yard or so from the boundary fence, Charley Hoffman hits the perfect shot, 120 yards or so, that rolls onto the green and straight into the middle of the hole! So he too is on -2, with his round in its infancy.
Another eagle at the 17th! It’s Thomas Pieters, who was +3 at the halfway stage and is -1 with a hole to play.
Ernie Els is one of four golfers on -2, after birdying the fifth. Justin Thomas, meanwhile, looks like he went out to a smart restaurant last night and never made it home. Still, he’s at -1 after 15 holes.
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Some holes are obviously playing pretty meanly. Just two people have so far birdied th 16th, for example, while 18 have bogeyed and four have lost two shots (conditions are much milder now than they were this morning, so the figures might improve over the afternoon). There have been five birdies on the fourth, with 28 bogeys and 69 pars. Of the two par-fives, the 15th has brought 12 birdies and 45 par-or-worses, while the 17th has brought three eagles, 21 birdies while just seven golfers have dropped one or more shots there. As I write, a pleasingly even 24 golfers have gained shots on the 17th, and 24 haven’t.
Anirban Lahiri hit six bogeys in eight holes in the middle of his round, sinking to +5, but he’s turned things round in style, with a birdie on the 14th and now a lovely, long curling putt for an eagle at the 17th! He’s back to +2.
Koepka ends up on the hill to the left of the 14th green, chips off it and the ball rolls towards the hole, skirts around it, curls around the cup and stays out! That was sole leadership right there. And then it wasn’t.
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Justin Thomas has a three-foot birdie putt on the 14th, which slides just to the right of the hole, takes up a position just on the lip of the cup, pauses for a while to consider its options, and decides to stay put. Painful.
Ouch! Justin Rose lands in one of the vicious back-of-the-green bunkers at 13, chips out of it, and the ball lands on the brow of the hill, pauses, spends a moment considering its options, and then heads back down the hill and into the bunker again.
Spieth has company! Brooks Koepka birdies the 13th to move alongside him on -4. Meanwhile Paul Casey tees off at the first, gets a slightly kind bounce off an incline and ends up just off the fairway. He’s playing with Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott.
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“Afternoon Simon,” writes Simon McMahon. “So that’s Sergio’s Open chances gone for another year. I’m not sure who to blame, you for taking over just as he teed up at the first, or Scott for leaving. Somebody call Dr Golf!” He and Johnson both ended up bogeying the first, while Day escaped with a par.
Another birdie for Spieth, who takes over sole leadership on -4 with a 12-footer at the 14th.
-4: Spieth (14)
-3: Poulter (F), Koepka (12)
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Andrew Johnston chips in from the edge of the green on the sixth, to great acclaim from the stands, the birdie bringing him back down to +1.
“What has happened to brandt snedeker?” asks Kris Slavin. He withdrew yesterday with “a rib issue”.
Ian Poulter chats to Sky. “I committed to a lot of shots. There’s one or two I’d like to have another go at and a couple of putts slipped past the edge of the hole, but it adds up to a decent score. I’m pretty happy.”
The Zach Johnson/Jason Day/Sergio Garcia trifecta have just teed off at the first hole, thumping their drives central, right and left respectively, with Sergio landing in particularly gruesome stuff.
Hello! I’ll be your guide for the next hour or so - drop me an email here, if you fancy.
Jordan Spieth sends his tee shot into the gallery down the right of 13. Some galoot stood on his ball, so he’ll get a drop. And he takes advantage by swishing a glorious second straight over the flag. He’ll have a look at birdie from the back of the green. The 20-footer’s too much of an ask, but he’d have taken par when watching his ball whistle towards bother from the tee, so.
And with that, I’m off to stare vacantly into the middle distance for a bit, like David Puddy taking a flight. Simon Burnton will be your guide, and I’ll see you again very soon.
Another birdie for Brooks Koepka, at 12, and he’s a shot off the lead at -2. And I’ve just realised I never got back to you regarding Tommy Fleetwood down the side of 6. My bad. He couldn’t get up and down, carded his second bogey of the day, and he subsequently doubled 9. He’s +4, the weight of being the local lad made good seemingly too much to bear right now.
Brooks Koepka, off the front of 10, is a turn of the ball away from draining a 100-foot monster. He enjoyed that nevertheless, the US Open champion grinning widely as he makes off with par, remaining at -1. Jordan Spieth is very close to guiding in a snaking 20-footer for birdie on 12, but his partner Si Woo Kim breaks a run of 11 pars with his first birdie. Kim won the Players earlier this year with one of the calmest final rounds you’ll ever see; he’s made of the right stuff. And the man who he pipped that day, Ian Poulter, gets up and down from sand at 18 to secure a par, and sign for a very impressive 67. Alex Noren shakes his hand warmly, just as content with his 68.
-3: Poulter (F), Spieth (12)
-2: Manley (18), Noren (18), Henley (15)
Quite a few folk fancy Branden Grace to do well this week. He’s getting close in the majors - four top-five finishes, split evenly between the US Open and the PGA - and his low ball flight is ideally suited to links golf. He started badly today, whistling his opening tee shot into sand and making bogey, then dropping another shot at 4. But he’s turned it round well on the back nine: birdies at 11, 15 and 17 brought him up to -1. A three-putt bogey on the last leaves a slightly sour taste, but he’d have taken 70 earlier this morning, when out in the worst of the weather. Meanwhile a slightly nervy par for the co-leader Jordan Spieth at 11, a misjudged birdie putt sent six feet past the hole. But in goes the one coming back, and he stays at -3. Shane Lowry reaches the turn in 33 after birdie at 9; he’s -1. And a birdie for Russell Henley at 15: he’s -2.
Ian Poulter sends his second at the par-five 17th into the bunker front right, and nearly splashes in for eagle. That was magnificent. He’ll be tapping in for a birdie that’ll give him a share of the lead at -3. Birdie for his playing partner Alex Noren, too; the BMW PGA champion is just one off the top. Heading the other way: Justin Rose, who skelped an iron into a fairway bunker off the tee at 10, making bogey pretty much an inevitability. He’s -1.
-3: Poulter (17), Spieth (10)
-2: Manley (F), Noren (17)
Matthew Fitzpatrick knocks in a 15-foot par saver on 18, and he’s signing for a one-under 69. That’s a marvellous round after a slow start, the young Yorkshireman having been +2 through 6. Meanwhile back on 9, Hideki Matsuyama follows up birdie at 7 with another, reaching the turn in 33. His first major is surely just a matter of time, as anyone who watched events at Erin Hills would surely agree. Let’s hope he’s at least in the mix come Sunday afternoon, because few players are better at stringing together a run of birdies. It could be some viewing.
A word about Chris Wood, out in the first group. You might remember his starting solidly in piss-poor conditions, then letting it slide with a couple of bogeys and a double. Well, having reached the turn in 38, he rallied rather magnificently on the back nine, with birdies at 10, 14 and 17. He ended with a one-over 71, and should feel pretty good about himself on balance. The veteran Thongchai Jaidee will be similarly happy, having started out with a good old hack up the opening hole and a double. Four subsequent birdies at 9, 13, 15 and 17, plus a couple of bogeys at 14 and 16, balanced everything out rather nicely. A level-par round of 70 for a player whose best finish at an Open was a top-15 finish at Turnberry in 2009.
Spieth gets a little break, his ball sitting up on some trodden-down grass. But taking advantage won’t be easy; it’s still a tricky position. He tosses his ball high in to the air, landing it softly on the down slope just before fringe turns into green. It rolls softly, threatens to drop, but let’s not be too greedy. That’s a delicious touch, and he escapes with his par.
“Wow! That was a mistake!” Give it up for Jordan Spieth, the master of understatement. Wedging into 10 from 130 yards, he sends the ball miles out to the left, admittedly not helped by a sudden gust of wind. It lands behind the spectators; it’ll be interesting to see what lie he’s got. Either way, he’s shortsided, with not got much green to play with. Back on 9, Justin Rose has a chance from 12 feet to join Spieth at -3, but he pushes his birdie putt to the right. He reaches the turn in 32.
The new US Open champion Brooks Koepka has been quiet so far. Pars through the first seven holes. But he claps his approach at 8 to a couple of feet, and taps in for the birdie that moves him to -1. Matthew Fitzpatrick meanwhile has had an eventful few holes: after that birdie at 14, he’s dropped one at 16 before picking it up again at 17. He’s -1 too.
We have a new leader in Jordan Spieth! He sends his second at 9 straight at the flag. A gentle left-to-right slider from ten feet, and that’s back-to-back birdies. He’s out in 31 strokes. This has been a masterclass in calm, controlled, clever golf from the two-time major-winning 23-year-old.
-3: Spieth (9)
-2: Manley (F), Poulter (15), Rose (8)
Poulter salvages yet another par! He manages to whip his ball out of the hoo-hah down the right of 15 and onto the green. It’s not quite Arnie’s famous escape at 16 (now 17) in 1961, but he’ll take it. Two putts later, and he remains in a tie for the lead at -2 with early clubhouse leader Stuart Manley, Jordan Spieth ... and Justin Rose, who birdies 8, wedging close like Spieth before him! With Poulter reliving his nearly-man heroics of 2008, it’s almost easy to forget that Rose has history here too, his hole-out from the left of 18 in 1998, and a tie for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur. Almost easy. Because you didn’t forget, did you.
Jordan Spieth joins the leaders, wedging to six feet at 8 and knocking the birdie putt into the cup. He looks like he means business today, refreshed after a beach holiday, chewing on a nugget of gum in the insouciant style. A good bet to land the title he probably should have won at St Andrews in 2015? It’s only a matter of time before he lands his fourth major, so why not? Back-to-back birdies for 26-year-old US-born Frenchman Alexander Levy, incidentally. The reigning European Open and China Open champion picks up strokes at 10 and 11 to move under par.
-2: Manley (F), Poulter (14), Spieth (8)
-1: Noren (14), Henley (12), Levy (11), Plant -a- (10), Stenson (8), Rose (7), Thomas (7), Finau (3)
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Justin Thomas responds to that bogey at 6 by guiding home a snaking putt from the back of the par-three 7th. He’s back in the group at -1. As is the amateur Alfie Plant, who reached the turn in level par, but has started the homeward stretch with birdie at 10. The big-hitting Tony Finau joins them with a rake from the apron at the back of 3. But there’s trouble for the co-leader Poulter on the par-five 15th; he’s sent a fairway wood into deep nonsense down the right, the ball slam-dunking into tangled rough near a bush.
Yet another fine up and down from Ian Poulter, this time at the downhill par-three 14th. Having dunked his tee shot into sand, his splash out wasn’t all that. But he rolls in a very missable 12 footer, and he stays at -2. Meanwhile trouble for Tommy Fleetwood on 6; he hooks wildly into the crowd down the left. Way to thank them for all the support they’re giving the local hero! In fact, the ball looks to have sailed right over their heads, which isn’t great as instead of nestling on trampled ground, it’ll be tangled in some serious nonsense on a bank running down the side of the hole. More when we have it, but don’t expect good news.
Trouble for Justin Rose on 6. He slices his tee shot deep into the thick stuff down the right. It’s an unplayable lie, and he’s forced to drop. He lashes a hybrid out of the rough ... and finds the centre of the green with a spectacular shot. Two putts for his bogey won’t be a bad result, given the tee shot. A bogey, and he’s back to -1. Jordan Spieth very nearly heads in the other direction, having clipped a fine tee shot at the par-three 7th to 12 feet, but the ball slides on by. Henrik Stenson however repairs the damage at 6 by clacking his tee shot at 7 straight at the flag, and tucking home the birdie putt. He’s -1 again. Oh, and Justin Thomas bogeys 6. It is, to quote popular comic Danny Boon, all happening.
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Stenson can’t get up and down from the side of 6. To be honest, he does well to smack his ball out of the tangled cabbage and onto the green. Two putts later, and that’s a bogey that drops him back to level par. Spieth does pretty well to escape with par after seriously overcooking his first putt. He knocks in a six-foot return and remains at -1. He’s alongside Alex Noren, who moves into red figures again after birdie at 13.
The amateur Maverick McNealy didn’t finish quite as strongly as his playing partner Stuart Manley. Four bogeys along that long trek home, 15, 16, 17 and 18, and he’s signing for a stinging eight-over 78. And a sad end to Mark O’Meara’s round. The winner here in 1998 started his round early this morning by winging his tee shot out of bounds and running up a quadruple bogey 8. It looked as though he’d have a much happier finish, having picked up his first birdie of the day at 17. But bogey on 18 condemned him to an 11-over 81. That’ll hurt the veteran’s pride.
Matthew Fitzpatrick drains another monster putt! This one from the fringe at the back of 14. Another birdie, his third in seven holes, and he’s -1. Meanwhile up on 18, Stuart Manley rakes in a 40-footer! He’s finished eagle-birdie, and the 38-year-old Welshman’s very first round in the Open Championship is a 68! It’s earned him a share of the lead.
-2: Manley (F), Poulter (12), Rose (5)
-1: Fitzpatrick (14), Henley (9), Stenson (5), Spieth (5), Thomas (5), Chang (2)
Ian Poulter’s birdie putt from the back of 12 shaves the hole; he remains in a share of the lead at -2. Bogey for the world number two Hideki Matsuyama at 4. And trouble for Henrik Stenson down 6: after a booming drive, he sends his second into thick bother to the left of the green. He’ll be doing very well to get up and down for his par from there, on the hardest hole on the course.
The first eagle of the week! Stuart Manley sends his second at 17 into the bunker front right of the two-tiered green. He splashes his ball up and down, releasing it towards the flag. It’s never missing, and he rises to join a group at -1 that now also includes the defending champ Henrik Stenson, who birdies 5, and Yikeun Chang of South Korea, who rolls in a 25-footer on 1 and waltzes off with a huge smile on his face. Some Open debut for Manley, this, on a difficult morning.
Tommy Fleetwood pulls his tee shot at 3 into sand, and he’s always struggling for par thereafter. He nearly drains a saver, putting from a swale to the back left of the hole, but the home favourite slips to +1. Behind him, trouble for Shane Lowry, who is forced into playing a shot from a greenside bunker at 2 while standing on one leg. The ball pops out, but only just, and dribbles back into the sand. He does very well to get up and down, limiting the damage to bogey. He’s back to level par. And the co-leaders are also limiting damage: Ian Poulter trundles a hot long putt six feet past the flag at 11, but nails the return, while Justin Rose sends his tee shot at the par-three 4th near a bush at the back, but clips out to a couple of feet. They remain at -2.
Jordan Spieth is very close to making a 35-foot birdie putt on 4. A near-perfect read over the shoulder of the bunker, the ball sent kinking at an angle to the left. But it lips out. He stays at -1. The defending champion Henrik Stenson doesn’t hit a straight 12-footer, but he’s started with four pars. As has the Players champion Si Woo Kim. And back on 3, Justin Rose sends an iron to six feet from 200 yards, and the birdie putt’s tucked away. He joins his friend and compatriot Ian Poulter in the lead. Bogeys meanwhile for the amateur Alfie Plant and Anirban Lahiri at 6.
-2: Poulter (10), Rose (3)
-1: Henley (7), Spieth (4), Thomas (2), Matsuyama (2), Lowry (1)
A stunning escape for Ian Poulter on 10. He wangs a dreadful tee shot into thick nonsense down the right, and can only hack back out. He’s playing three into the par four, but screeches a stunning bump-and-run to 18 inches and kicks in to stay at -2. He should be joined in the lead by Jordan Spieth, who lands his approach at 3 to six feet, but the putter’s not working for the 23-year-old genius as it did in 2015, a year in which he missed pretty much nothing. This one doesn’t drop, and he’s forced to settle for par and a share of -1. He’s joined in that large group by Shane Lowry, who is slowly working his way back into form after a quiet period. An opening hole birdie for the Irish star. Birdie for the 1996 champ Tom Lehman on 12; he’s level par. And the local hero Tommy Fleetwood has started out with a couple of pars.
-2: Poulter (10)
-1: Henley (7), Lahiri (5), Plant -a- (5), Spieth (3), Rose (2), Thomas (2), Matsuyama (1), Lowry (1)
Justin Thomas, the latest man to shoot a 63 in a major, having done so in the US Open at Erin Hills last month, has really made an effort today. He’s wearing cardigan, shirt and tie. It’s a strong, old-school look, if you ignore the Titleist cap. Bing Crosby would approve. He’s knocked his second at 2 to a couple of feet, and in goes the birdie putt; he joins the group at -1 that also includes the US Open runner up, Hideki Matsuyama, who opens with birdie, and Anirban Lahiri, who picks up a shot at 5.
The 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose has opened with birdie, joining Poulter and Plant in the lead at -1. Then Jordan Spieth slides in his birdie putt on 2. What a birdie that was, after a terrible drive into thick rubbish down the left. He’s -1 too. The champion Henrik Stenson gets up and down from sand to save his par. Stuart Manley bogeys 13 to slip to +1. Matthew Fitzpatrick has bounced back from a slow start: having bogeyed 2 and 6, he birdied 8, and now he’s curled in a massive right-to-left curler on 10: he’s back to level par. Russell Henley birdies 6 to join the leading group. And then Ian Poulter reclaims pole position on his own, taking a textbook route down 9, splitting the fairway, chipping to ten feet, and guiding in the birdie putt. He’s reached the turn in 32!
-2: Poulter (9)
-1: Henley (6), Plant -a- (4), Spieth (2), Rose (1)
Padraig Harrington, who won the second of his two Opens here in 2008, has started his return tour steadily. A couple of pars, though it could have been better had he hit his 15-foot birdie chance on 2. Back down the hole, Jordan Spieth drives into thick rough down the left, but lashes out magnificently to ten feet. Henrik Stenson meanwhile dumps his approach into sand, a club short.
The first truly stellar group of the day takes to the course: the reigning champion Henrik Stenson, the Players champion Si Woo Kim, and Jordan Spieth. The 2015 Masters and US Open winner is the only one who doesn’t reach the green in graceful regulation, his approach a good club short. His brow folds in confusion. The Texan pulls out his Texas Wedge, and sends a long putt from off the green to a few inches. A lovely par save. Stenson’s birdie effort from 12 feet - he’d sent a lovely gentle fade into the green - slides by the cup. And two safe putts from Kim. Pars all round.
Poulter’s got the mother and father of all awkward lies in the bunker at 7. One foot in the sand, knee on the bank, it’s all he can do to get a stance without disturbing his ball. Eventually he slams it out, 15 feet past the hole. As much as was humanly possible. He can’t save his skin this time, though, and he’s dropping back to -1. The amateur Alfie Plant, who has parred 2, is currently joint leader of the Open Championship. Also note a very steady performance by Stuart Manley of Wales, making his Open debut at 38.
-1: Poulter (7), Plant -a- (2)
E: Manley (12), Noren (7), Knox (7), Marksaeng (5), Song (5), Kapur (5), Henley (4), Levy (2), Lahiri (2), Clarke (1), Woodland (1), Ellis -a- (1)
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Great back-to-back par scrambles by Ian Poulter there. He’ll have to make it three in a row, having just dumped his tee shot at the par-three 7th into a pot bunker. Sad to report that it’s back-to-back bogeys for Danny Willett, who drops another at 8: he’s +1. “Another Open, another breezy, hazard-ridden proper test of golf,” begins Guy Hornsby. “It feels strangely odd to not be in full ‘OH SERGIO’ mode already. His incredible victory at Augusta still hasn’t fully sunk in (for us merry bunch, god knows what it’s like for him) but he must be on a very long list of contenders here. At least he’s got the chance to put his feet up until the afternoon and see which way the wind is blowing. I honestly can’t remember a more open, er, Open in years, such is both the talent of the field and the lack of an outright favourite. Fingers crossed it’s a barnstorming four days with a European winner, and not another Ben Curtis. Sorry, Ben.” No need to be apologising to him. He should be saying sorry to Thomas Bjorn, Vijay and Tiger. Todd Hamilton’s going round with Beef today, incidentally. What a period for the Open that was. And people say the 1950s weren’t all that.
Alfie Plant won the European amateur at Walton Heath earlier this month. The 24-year-old from Kent continues his good form here with a birdie at the opening hole, which is still some test as it stands, even without the wind and rain whipping in from the Irish Sea, as it was earlier. He’s in sole possession of second place right now, because Alex Noren drops one on the difficult par-four 6th. But Noren’s partners both escape the hole with brilliant pars. Russell Knox found the strategically placed bunker on the left of the fairway with his drive, and had to take his medicine and chip out. He saves himself by creaming a hybrid to six feet, and knocking in the saver. Ian Poulter meanwhile sent his second into the bunker front right. His splash out is well short of the hole, but he trundles in the putt to remain in the lead.
-2: Poulter (6)
-1: Plant -a- (1)
The sun is out, but the wind is getting up again. Mark O’Meara continues to struggle: bogeys at 10 and 11, and he’s +11 already. You can joke that the 1998 Masters and Open champion is playing like an 18-handicapper right now, but this course is as tough as they come, where the slightest mistake is punished in the comprehensive style. Other former champions not necessarily enjoying their morning’s walk: 1985 hero Sandy Lyle, who has reached the turn in 37, three over so far, and his partner Stewart Cink, who is matching him shot for shot. Why couldn’t Cink have played like this in 2009? Nothing personal, he seems like a lovely chap, and in any other circumstances ... but, well, y’know. It’s not easy to let that one go, is it. Oh Tom!
Poulter bumps delicately over the bunker and into the bank, taking most of the pace off the ball, sending it rolling gently to five feet. That’s some result from where he was. And in goes the par saver. That’s a great up and down. And I was hoping to say the same about Danny Willett, who sent his tee shot at 7 into a circular bunker shaped like a 7-inch single, complete with knoll in the middle as label. He shapes his body like an ampersand, one foot in, one knee out on the grass, and splashes brilliantly to six feet. But he can’t complete the escape, his putt sailing by to the left. The bogey drops him back to level par.
-2: Poulter (5)
-1: Noren (5)
E: Manley (10), Willett (7), Marksaeng (4), Song (3), Kapur (2), Uihlein (2), Henley (1)
Birdie for Bryson DeChambeau! The appliance of science is finally vindicated on 5, where he finds the front of the green and trundles in a 20-footer for birdie. He’s +4, and looking a little bit happier. A little bit. Birkdale has taken a chunk out of this talented young man. Once he vacates the green, the new leader Ian Poulter approaches ... and is soon screaming “Commit to the shot!” in great frustration. He’s hit a poor one to the right. It should topple into the greenside bunker, but somehow stays out. He’ll be wishing that had dropped into the sand for an easier splash out; as it is, he’s got to scoop his next one over the trap and there’s not a lot of green to play with. That’s a tester, right there.
Ian Poulter, who briefly threatened to win the Open here in 2008 before coming second, is enjoying something of a career renaissance right now. Second place at the Players Championship this year has really boosted his confidence, and now he’s our new leader! He sends his tee shot at the downhill par-three 4th into the middle of the green, then rolls a snaky right-to-left-to-right 25-footer into the cup for his second birdie of the day! He punches the air and ... well, we’ve an awfully long way to go. But what a story Ian Poulter’s 2017 threatens to become.
-2: Poulter (4)
-1: Willett (6), Noren (4)
Poulter and Noren take turns to go very close with 30-foot birdie efforts on 3. Not quite, but they remain at -1, and they both appear to be in the mood. The third man in the group, Russell Knox, threatens to join them in the lead, very nearly trundling a chip into the cup from the swale to the left of the hole. He stays at level par. Another bogey for Bryson DeChambeau meanwhile, this time at 4, and he’s +5 already. For the record, Mark O’Meara has reached the turn in 43. Par golf is 34 strokes. A former Masters and Open champion proving how tough links golf is when the weather’s up. He’ll be glad to see the sun finally coming out.
And while we’re on the subject, so much for Chris Wood’s steady start. He battled through the very worst of the early weather, opening with three solid, street-fighting pars. Now he’s bogeyed 4 and 6, and doubled 7. He’s +4 too. It can go very wrong, very quickly at the Open.
The woes of poor old Mark O’Meara continue. Having started out with a quadruple bogey, he’s since bogeyed 2, 4 and 6, and there’s a double at the sand-bound par-three 7th. He’s now +9 through 8. The amateur Maverick McNealy, 39 years O’Meara’s junior, isn’t enjoying himself either: bogeys at 4 and 6 to follow his opening-hole triple. He’s +5. Bryson DeChambeau adds to his opening triple with bogey at 2: he’s +4. And it’s back-to-back bogeys for Byeong Hun An, who lets a short putt slide by at 5 to drop to +1. Did I mention improved scoring? Let’s give it time.
The sun’s threatening to come out! Scoring should steadily improve now. Ian Poulter demonstrates as much by sending his approach at 2 into the heart of the green, pin high, and sending his 25-footer straight into the cup. He’s -1. His partner Alex Noren nearly moves into sole ownership of the lead at -2, but his confident 20-foot trundle shaves the side of the hole. Willett meanwhile has a long look at birdie on 4, but that’ll do for par. These three lads share the lead at -1. Two English players, you’ll note. There’s not been an English winner of the Open since Nick Faldo won at Muirfield in 1992. Could this be the year a long drought ends? Or perhaps Noren will slake Sweden’s 12-month thirst.
Byeong Hun An sends his tee shot at the par-three 4th into a tight spot. He chips up well to four feet, but pushes his putt to the right. Bogey. Khongwatmai splashes out from sand at 6, but he ends up with double bogey. An ugly seven, and all of a sudden one of the early leaders crashes into the pack: +2.
-1: Willett (3), Noren (1)
E: Manley (6), Lehman (4), An (4), Horschel (3), Knox (1), Poulter (1)
Danny Willett is a couple of joules of energy short from raking in a long birdie putt on 3. He’ll be happy enough with his start, though, as he stays at -1. He’s joined in the early lead by the in-form Alex Noren, who batters a monster drive down the opening hole and sets up a short birdie putt with a gorgeous wedge. Par for his partners Ian Poulter and Russell Knox. Phachara Khongwatmai’s woes on 6 continue, as he slam-dunks his third from tangled nonsense atop a hill to the right into greenside sand.
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Byeong Hun An, who very nearly made birdie on the opening hole, cards one on 3 to join the leaders Willett and Khongwatmai at -1. The latter will most likely be slipping back down the leader board soon, having shanked his second at the difficult 6th behind a scoreboard on the right. That’s in filth, even if he gets relief. Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau’s wild opening drive out of bounds ends up being very costly. He watches in horror as a double bogey putt horseshoes out; he walks off the 1st green +3, the colour having completely drained from his face. He’s not one for hiding his emotions, and as he attempts a thin-lipped smile to acknowledge the sympathetic smattering of applause he receives, it’s difficult not to feel sorry for the young man right now.
Danny Willett becomes the first player at this Open Championship to go under par! A birdie at 2, the result of a fine approach to ten feet. And he’s soon joined there by the 18-year-old Thai, Phachara Khongwatmai, who lands his second at 5 close, despite the pin being tucked behind the shoulder of the bunker on the right. In goes the putt, and he’s -1 too! Steve Stricker managed to escape with par on 1 after his errant drive, by the way, as did his partner Matthew Fitzpatrick, who rattled in a 30-foot saver.
-1: Khongwatmai (5), Willett (2)
E: Lehman (2), An (2), Horschel (2), Fitzpatrick (1), Stricker (1)
Bryson DeChambeau becomes the latest player to wing his opening drive out of bounds down the right. It’s heartbreaking to watch his eager face fall as the ball sails over O’Meara’s Fence. From his win at the John Deere Classic last weekend to this. Golf! One of the game’s great thinkers, DeChambeau. For those who missed our profile on this fascinating young player, here’s an opportunity to live your life without regrets...
Steve Stricker leads the driving accuracy stats on the PGA Tour. And this most steady of players hasn’t missed a cut in a major since the 2009 PGA. Here he flays a wild tee shot at 1 high on the hill to the left of the hole. The unique pressure of the Open Championship, right there. Up on the green, Willett makes a solid par, though he still looks a little antsy as he escapes this difficult hole. The travails of the last 12 months have left a bit of a scar. God speed, Danny Willett. Meanwhile on 3, Jeunghun Wang - who followed up his double at 1 with bogey at 2 - trundles in a chip from a swale to the right of the green! He’s the second player, after Ryan Moore, to register a birdie this week. He’s +2, and suddenly Royal Birkdale seems a much friendlier place.
Ryan Moore has yet to make a par. He dumps his tee shot from the elevated box at 4 into the bunker guarding the front right of the green. He can’t get up and down from the deep trap, and he’s +1 again. His playing partner Chris Wood also bogeys the tricky downhill par-three, having come up short, leaving himself with an almost impossible putt from off the front, the huge break too much. And O’Meara makes it three bogeys out of three: he’s +6. The 4th looks like it should be a doddle, incidentally, a pretty little thing. But it’s longer than it looks, and if you don’t hit the well-bunkered green, the best of luck to you.
Jaidee can’t make his bogey putt on 1, and he’s started out with a double. Another dropped shot for Wang on 2; he’s +3 already. A second bogey for Lyle, and he’s +2 after 2. Meanwhile back on the tee, last year’s Masters champion Danny Willett begins his bid. He’s had a hellish time of it since his success at Augusta, poor form and a bad back. So it’s good to see him cream an iron straight down the middle. The crowd, well-wishers all, reward him with warm applause as they send him on his way. Easy to forget he finished in a tie for sixth at St Andrews a couple of years ago. And up on the green, Byeong Hun An very nearly cards the first birdie on 1, landing a gorgeous second to ten feet. But his putt shaves the left of the hole and stays out. Never mind, par will do. You’ll always be happy to take your par at 1.
Ryan Moore has responded brilliantly to that opening double bogey. He’s just followed up his birdie at 2 with another at 3, rolling in from 20 feet across the green, having sent his second pin high. A spring in his step as he makes off to the first par-three on the course. He’s one of only five players not over par, though admittedly there’s only a dozen folk out there right now. And the wind and rain is easing off a bit, so the scoring can only get better.
E: Wood (3), Moore (3), Khongwatmai (2), Cink (1), Broadhurst (1)
Another sorry sight on 1. The veteran Thongchai Jaidee hoicks his opening tee shot into the bushes down the right. Snagging in the filth just before O’Meara’s Fence, that’s not quite OB, but it’s not much of a break. He tries to advance the ball with a basic hack out, but it doesn’t travel very far, squirting maybe ten yards ahead, still in thick rough. A fine, frustrated third, though, finds the heart of the green. A chance to escape with a bogey, albeit from 20 feet or so.
O’Meara, sadly, dropped another stroke at 2 while Moore was making his birdie. He’s already +5, a nightmare start. A sound opening to Wood’s round, though: once again he bumps a chip to a couple of feet and tidies up for par. Back on the opening hole, Wang is very close to draining a 25-footer for bogey, but it stops short and he’s carding a double. Lyle ends up with a bogey, but Cink sinks a 15-footer to escape with par. Incidentally, in the group ahead, the first amateur out, Maverick McNealy, ran up a seven on this opening hole. It’s tough out there, with the wind whipping in from the sea, forcing tee shot after tee shot towards danger on the right.
Amid the early carnage, the first birdie of the 146th Open! Ryan Moore caresses his approach at 2 to eight feet. His putt threatens to stay up, but the cup wins the struggle and snaffles the ball from the left lip. In it drops, and he’s back to +1, looking much happier already after an eventful start.
The 2009 champion Tom Watson Stewart Cink is out and about. The dream-wrecking Georgian very nearly sends his tee shot at 1 over O’Meara’s Fence, but the ball stops just shy in the rough. The 1985 winner Sandy Lyle does exactly the same thing, peering after his ball with great concern before breathing out. But the third member of the group, the European Tour rookie of the year Jeunghun Wang, whistles his ball over the dreaded railing. He’s looking for it nevertheless, in forlorn hope, but that’s surely gone.
O’Meara’s approach isn’t bad, but he’s left with a testing ten footer. Two putts, and that’s a quadruple-bogey 8 to start. Ow. Moore’s shot in wasn’t all that, either. He three putts from 20 feet, and that’s a double. But Wood chips over a bunker to the left of the green, to a couple of feet, and escapes with his par. A huge smile on his face, and no wonder. The first group have taken 18 shots on this hole. Just take a look our very first leader board!
E: Wood (1)
+2: Moore (1)
+4: O’Meara (1)
The 1st is a hellish opening hole all right, a long, snaking par four with O’Meara’s Bunker down the left, O’Meara’s Fence down the right, and plenty of gorse-covered hillocks either side. It’s not being made any easier by the rain, which is coming down heavy right now. And the wind’s up. And it’s cold. The forecast claims this is going to clear within an hour or so, most of the day being dry with sunny spells. But the wind could be a factor. Links golf! O’Meara is forced to chip out sideways from his bunker, and he can’t reach the green with his fifth. His partners Chris Wood and Ryan Moore haven’t been able to reach the green in regulation either. Expect plenty of drama on this hole today.
The first shot of the 2017 Open Championship will be struck by Mark O’Meara, who lifted the Claret Jug here in 1998, beating Brian Watts in a play-off. It’s a dreich morning on the Lancashire riviera, drizzle and wind from the Irish Sea getting in the 60-year-old legend’s grille. The Open Championship, ladies and gentlemen! O’Meara is announced and given the warmest ovation. He whips out his 3-wood ... and that looks to have gone over a fence and out of bounds on the right. What a start! His provisional is sent into a deep bunker down the left. Last year’s Open began with Colin Montgomerie suffering a meltdown in a greenside bunker and running up a double bogey. A similar indignity awaits our old champion golfer. The only way is up!
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Good morning!
Stenson versus Mickelson. How on earth do you follow that?
Well, chances are, you probably don’t. Not if the law of averages is any guide. The previous stone-cold mano-a-mano Open classic, Turnberry’s duel in the sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, occurred in 1977. We’re dealing in 39-year gaps. Don’t hold your breath, folks, 2055 is an awfully long way away.
Then again, we’re allowed to dream, yes? Perhaps the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale will be even better! Goodness knows, there’s enough star quality out there. In order of world ranking ... the 2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson; Hideki Matsuyama, runner up at Erin Hills last month; the 23-year-old two-time major winner Jordan Spieth; the 28-year-old four-time major winner Rory McIlroy; the Masters champion Sergio Garcia; the 2015 PGA winner Jason Day; Jon Rahm, a first-time winner on both PGA and European tours this year; last year’s Open champion Henrik Stenson; Alex Noren, who shot 62 to win the PGA at Wentworth a couple of months back; links disciple and serial major bridesmaid Rickie Fowler; the new US Open champion Brooks Koepka; erstwhile US Open winner and teenage Birkdale sensation Justin Rose; Justin Thomas, who shot 63 in a major last month; and the local boy Tommy Fleetwood, in the form of his life, who knows this famous old links like the back of his hand.
Then there’s Phil Mickelson. A long shot for old Lefty, perhaps. But then Nicklaus did bounce back from losing to Watson in 1977 with victory in the 1978 Open. Nothing is impossible.
And we’ve just scratched the surface. You’ll forgive us if we’ve not mentioned your favourite, won’t you? Look at it this way: there’s an awfully long way to go, so no doubt they’ll get a namecheck soon. Four days of classic action on this beautiful Lancashire links stretch out ahead of us. Open fever is raging; somebody, please, call Dr Golf! While we wait for that old quack, here’s today’s tee times (all BST):
6.35 am: Mark O’Meara, Chris Wood, Ryan Moore
6.46 am: Phachara Khongwatmai, Maverick McNealy (a), Stuart Manley
6.57 am: Stewart Cink, Sandy Lyle, Jeunghun Wang
7.08 am: Paul Broadhurst, Thongchai Jaidee, Roberto Castro
7.19 am: Tom Lehman, Byeong Hun An, Darren Fichardt
7.30 am: Soren Kjeldsen, Billy Horschel, Danny Willett
7.41 am: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Steve Stricker, Emiliano Grillo
7.52 am: Jason Dufner, Branden Grace, Bryson DeChambeau
8.03 am: Alex Noren, Russell Knox, Ian Poulter
8.14 am: David Duval, Prayad Marksaeng, K.T. Kim
8.25 am: Younghan Song, David Horsey, Dylan Frittelli
8.36 am: Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Charles Howell III, Shiv Kapur
8.47 am: Russell Henley, Fabrizio Zanotti, Peter Uihlein
9.03 am: Alexander Levy, Brendan Steele, Webb Simpson
9.14 am: Wesley Bryan, Anirban Lahiri, Alfie Plant (a)
9.25 am: Darren Clarke, Gary Woodland, Harry Ellis (a)
9.36 am: Padraig Harrington, Pat Perez, Thomas Pieters
9.47 am: Henrik Stenson, Si Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth
9.58 am: Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas
10.09 am: Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood
10.20 am: J.B. Holmes, James Hahn, Shane Lowry
10.31 am: Richard Bland, Shaun Norris, Luca Cianchetti (a)
10.42 am: Yikeun Chang, Chan Kim, Mark Foster
10.53 am: Sung-Hoon Kang, Tony Finau, Matthieu Pavon
11.04 am: Alexander Bjork, Joe Dean, Robert Streb
11.15 am: Robert Dinwiddie, Julian Suri, Adam Hodkinson
11.36 am: Andrew Johnston, Adam Hadwin, Todd Hamilton
11.47 am: John Daly, Adam Bland, Connor Syme (a)
11.58 am: William McGirt, Toby Tree, Jamie Lovemark
12.09 pm: Matthew Griffin, Austin Connelly, Matthew Southgate
12.20 pm: Cameron Smith, Bill Haas, Callum Shinkwin
12.31 pm: Michael Hendry, Brian Harman, Martin Laird
12.42 pm: Ernie Els, Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger
12.53 pm: Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer, Aaron Baddeley
1.04 pm: Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia
1.15 pm: Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten, David Lipsky
1.26 pm: Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Paul Casey
1.37 pm: Matt Kuchar, Richie Ramsay, Ryan Fox
1.48 pm: Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman, David Drysdale
2.04 pm: Jimmy Walker, Hideto Tanihara, Thorbjorn Olesen
2.15 pm: Jhonattan Vegas, Brandon Stone, Sean O’Hair
2.26 pm: Daniel Berger, Pablo Larrazabal, Yuta Ikeda
2.37 pm: Paul Lawrie, Kevin Chappell, Yusaku Miyazato
2.48 pm: Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel
2.59 pm: Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood
3.10 pm: Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Marc Leishman
3.21 pm: Scott Hend, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Bubba Watson
3.32 pm: Paul Waring, Kyle Stanley, Kevin Na
3.43 pm: Giwhan Kim, Xander Schauffele, Andrew Dodt
3.54 pm: Haotong Li, Kent Bulle, Haydn McCullen
4.05 pm: Jbe Kruger, Nick McCarthy, Ashley Hall
4.16 am: Ryan McCarthy, Laurie Canter, Sebastian Munoz
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