It’s the final Major of the year as the world’s best golfers bid for the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
You can follow all the action right here over the next few days.
Irish in action:
Shane Lowry -1 (5)
Pádraig Harrington +1 (7)
Tom McKibbin +2 (73)
Liam Nolan (A) (16.05)
Darren Clarke +5 (9)
Rory McIlroy +7 (78)
“The conditions got the better of me, those cross-winds,” he said.
“Once we turned onto the back nine, it was left to right winds. I was struggling to hold the ball in those winds.”
“I didn’t do a good enough job of adapting to the conditions. I have to go out and try to play better to try to be here for the weekend.”
He’ll have a 25 footer for birdie on the long Par Five. Out on the course, Brooks Koepka is making moves and he’s now just one back from Thomas.
“Erm, I mean, all I need to focus on is tomorrow and try to make the cut,” McIlroy said after a media appearance that was limited to just three questions. “That’s all I can focus on.”
Perfect drive from Lowry. He lays up nicely and is preparing for a 122 yarder into the green.
Tiger Woods drops back to +3 as he slips back down the leaderboard after his good start.
The two time Open champ pulls one back with a birdie on seven, bringing him to +1 for the day.
He shaves the cup with a decent attempt, and stays as he was on -1. His playing partner Cameron Smith is already +4 after five holes showing the difficulty of the conditions.
Lowry makes his first birdie of the day on the Par Five fourth. He recovered well after finding the rough with his tee-shot, laying up to 150 before giving himself a nine footer.
He rolled it in for his first birdie of the week, becoming one of just the sixteen players who are under par.
He’ll lay up to the long Par Five.
McIlroy misses the 7 footer to bogey the 18th to card an opening day 78. Not his day today.
He put himself in too much trouble off the tee and his scrambling couldn’t save him. The conditions were tough and he never got to grips with them.
World number 1 Scottie Scheffler begins his championship with a bogey,
Lowry’s tee shot on the tough par 4 2nd finds the left native area. He fires his second to the centre of the green but he faces a long putt for birdie.
McIlroy has to play sideways out of the fairway bunker on the 18th. He plays a fine 3rd shot into the green leaving him with a 7 footer on the last to make par.
McIlroy finds the sand with his tee shot on the 18th.
McIlroys tee shot on the par 3 17th finds the bunker but he plays an unbelievable recovery shot where he should tap in for his par.
Three time champion Tiger Woods opens with a par.
Tiger Woods begins his round with a lovely tee shot down the 1st fairway.