Leaderboard
-4 JS Olesen (F), Li (F), Fitzpatrick (16)
-3 Kaewkanjana (8), Jordan (F)
Irish selected:
E Lowry (13)
+1 McKibbin (F)
+4 Harrington (F), Clarke (F)
Later tee times:
Rory McIlroy with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood at 3.10pm
Scheffler (-1) is not happy with his tee shot at 14, lets go of the club, and it’s in the rough. Lowry (E) is back in business with a smooth fairway finder on the same hole.
Lowry’s (-1) pitch from the back of the green is decent, but he’s got eight foot left for par to stay under par. There are 21 players under par so far. Of the early calamities, big-hitting Aldrich Potgieter is +6, Hideki Matsuyama is +4.
No calamities on Matt Fitzpatrick’s watch! Birdie chip in to get to -4 on the 16th. All big smiles on that one, saving a few shots there. He joins the leaders.
Bogey for Lowry! Sadly he misses the par putt on 13 and drops to even par.
JJ Spaun, the US Open champion, showed he can deal with rain better than most at Oakmont and he birdies the 13th to move to -1.
Lowry (-1) flies the green on the par 3 13th, will have to get up and down for his par.
Englishman Matthew Jordan posts a round of three-under 68, only one off the lead.
Matthew Jordan (-3) hits it to the front of the green at 18 and has a chance to tie the clubhouse lead, but more likely post a three under 68. Fitzpatrick (-3) is playing lovely golf today in the rain and he just misses another birdie chance.
Birdie putt for Lowry (-1) then from 15 feet up the hill on 12... and just leaves it short! That’s an annoying one as the jacket comes off once more. Rain appears to be easing off.
Lowry (-1) lays up to 90 yards and the par 5 12th and gets a little bit of spin back but not as much as he’d have liked but still a birdie chance.
Lowry (-1) bundles into the rough on the 12th. Rahm (Even) goes for birdie on 12 but just short, difficult stretch for the Spaniard.
Nearly a hole in one on a par 4! Laurie Canter (+1) hits the flag at the short par 4 5th, that would have been an amazing moment. Still a short putt ahead for eagle.
Lowry (-1) makes his par! 22 feet and another big save.
Par for Westwood at 18, it was there all the way just needed hitting, but it’s a fine two under round of 69. Great performance by the veteran.
Scheffler (-2) drives into the heavy stuff on 11 and has to chop it out sideways. Lowry (-1) also had to lay up on the long par 4 into the wind after pulling his drive, but closer than Scheffler.
Lucky bounce for Scheffler off the bank and back on the green, Lowry hits it closer but a long par putt too.
Rahm’s (-1) round has hit a sticky patch too around the turn and he has a long par putt after a wayward drive. Great effort though and his putt just stops on the edge of the hole. He’s back to level par. Same for the defending champion Xander Schauffele (Even).
Johnny Watterson is on the 16th hole, Calamity Corner, as the weather deteriorates:
“The wind at the par-3 16th hole ‘Calamity’ feels a lot more than the official 15 mph or 16 mph. Gusting into the players faces with some rain, it’s feeling more like 25 mph. Now there’s a thunder storm warning!"
Birdie for Fizpatrick (-1) at 12 brings him within one shot of the lead.
Par for Lowry (-1), important save at 11 with the par 5 12th coming up.
Rahm (-1) is furious with someone in the crowd behind him at 11 as he hits into heavy rough.
Birdie for Scheffler (-2), the world number one on 10 is ticking along nicely.
A tricky stretch of Lowry’s (-1) round as he misses the green to the left and short and will require short-game magic. Brilliant shot by Scheffler (-2) from the fairway to five or six feet for birdie straight after him.
Lowry (-1) has the jacket off again, his second jacket of the day, and pulls his drive into the rough on the 10th, not the worst lie though.
Rahm (-2) went over the green on 10 and then still not on the green for par, not there though yet for bogey. He gets it though to stay under par
Darren Clarke finishes with a four-over-par 75. A good finish though birdie-par. Here’s his chip in.
Bogey for Lowry! First mistake of the nine, if you could call it that, more like a bad break. It’s a shame, played way better than that for his first nine but still under par at -1. Drop shot too for Scheffler (-1).
Westwood bogeys the 16th to fall to -2, although it could have been worse. Jordan another player dropping shots quickly, back to -2.
A bad break for Lowry (-2) on 9 as his ball takes a wicked kick to right when heading for the green. First time he’s looked unhappy today and that will be a tough up and down there to save par.
Li’s par putt on 18 is in the hole and he signs for a four under 67 and ties the clubhouse lead.
Rahm (-2) hits his birdie putt short on 9 but will be satisfied with his front 9.
Westwood (-3) goes right on Calamity Corner at the 16th, could be a very tough one back up to the green.
Li (-4) is short of the green at 18 in two and bunts on up 10 feet past. Will have that to equal Olesen in the clubhouse lead.
Clarke chips in for birdie! Great moment for the home player on a difficult round, he gets back to +4 heading to the last.
Great drive by Westwood on 15 right down the middle and hits a wedge to about 20 feet. Rahm (-2) hits yet another green in regulation and looks in control of his ball with some great shotmaking and iron shots so far.
Lowry (-2) at the 9th hits another fairway, just a fairway wood this time off the tee.
Par for Lowry (-2) at 8, as his putt just comes short. Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott taking the interesting route of shielding the ball with the umbrella instead of the player, but it works and he gets his par.
Lowry (-2) finds another green, to the heart of it, at the 8th. A cliche at this point, he might not like it, but he won’t let these conditions take him out of his game.
Two more players join the lead as Lee Westwood (-3) drops out of it. Matthew Jordan, who has proven to be a fine links player, is up to -4, as is Li who knocks in a birdie at 17.
From Philip Reid:
Pádraig Harrington hit the opening tee shot but has some work to do if he is to fulfil his desire of also hitting the last shot come Sunday afternoon, after an opening round 75.
The two-time Open champion had joked beforehand about getting advice from Darren Clarke, who had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot in 2019.
Clarke recounted how he had planned on hitting 3-iron in the days running up to the championship only to change his mind on the tee and hit driver instead.
Harrington, though, stuck to his own plan.
As he put it, “I hyped up the tee shot as much as I could so when I got there today, it wasn’t too bad. I was decently comfortable when I got on the tee. Obviously didn’t try for too much, hit a nice smooth 3-iron down there, held the pose a little bit. I got a little emotional when I was clapped on, and then I calmed down, and I was kind of fine when I was hitting it.”
“I came off the range about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I could see the grandstand, and it was empty. I was like, I thought this was going to be full. Obviously we have to walk up and over, and as I came up and over, I could see people queueing for a long line to get into it. They hadn’t let anybody in. By the time we got there, the grandstand was full, the first fairway was full, the first green was full.”
And he felt himself well up, teary before hitting the shot. “I wouldn’t say I get too emotional, not like that, no. It felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap, yeah. I expected the nerves; I didn’t expect that. So I did have to adjust myself for that.
“It was very special, I’ve got to say. It’s a great honour to do it, as I said. I really hate the idea of being ceremonial, but I was prepared to take that to do it because it was here. I’m glad I did.”
Lowry (-2) has a different rain jacket on now, a darker one, as he leaves his chip a bit short of the par 5 7th, doesn’t get up the hill but still a chance for birdie to get to -3. Just a par for Shane as the moisture on the green seemed to slow up his putt.
Scheffler (-1) has been waiting a while on the other side of the green to chip on and does a nice job, four or five feet for birdie... which he makes! Goes to -2.
Jon Rahm (-2) is starting to come into his own with a pair of birdies, hit another good one at 8. Seven out of seven GIRs so far.
Much better putt by Mickelson than Olesen and that will be a one-under round of 70 for the six-time Major winner.
Really nasty weather out there as Scheffler attacks the par 5 7th, just goes over the green. Matt Fitzpatrick (-2) goes out in two under 34 for his opening nine.
Phil Mickelson (-1), who is rocking two gloves with sunglasses in lashing rain, as you do, birdied the 17th and could post an under par score in the clubhouse. Mickelson is 55 now and first played in the Open championship way back in 1991. Before this writer was born.
He hits the bank at the front of the green like Olesen and skips on, tricky up and down ahead to get in under par.
Another one cranked down the middle by Lowry (-2) at 7 on the par 5, who has done the opposite of everyone and taken off his jacket in the rain rather than put one on. Those hardy Offaly lads.
JS Olesen overhits the green at 18 and then leaves himself a decent putt for par. He misses it but in the clubhouse at -4, a 67. That score has been matched by Westwood (-4) who birdied the 12th.
Happy to be in the clubhouse and dry is Tom McKibbin, who spoke to Philip Reid after his one-over-par round of 72
Tom McKibbin had a 3.30am alarm call to start his day and carded an opening round 72, one-over-par, and with plans to head back for “a nap” before waking up again to watch Rory McIlroy on the television.
McKibbin was in the opening threeball alongside Pádraig Harrington (75) and Nicolai Hojgaard (69) and gave an assessment of what he called “tricky” pin placements.
A member of Portrush for the past decade, the 22-year-old Belfastman claimed flags were in positions he’d never seen before.
“Some good, some bad,” said McKibbin of a round which started with two bogeys in his opening three holes before he got firing. In all, he collected three birdies (fifth, ninth and 12th) and a brilliant eagle on the Par 5 seventh to make a good move up the leaderboard only to drop shots on the homeward run at the 11th, 13th and 18th, where he drove into a fairway bunker and could only splash out sideways onto the fairway.
Hojgaard agreed with McKibbin’s assessment of the course: “It was tricky; I thought the course was tricky. There was a lot of crosswinds, and I felt like it was tough to hit the fairways. But yeah, the course is playing exactly how we want it. It’s tricky. The wind is tricky. But if you’re in control, you can make birdies out there.”
Lowry is very much in control of his ball so far. Has not had a par putt over a few feet and a few birdie chances converted. He has the par 5 7th up next.
A squall coming in of some really nasty weather that will test the players in the next few minutes.
The leader JS Olesen (-5) is on the 18th, with up to 28km/h gusts now at Portrush. He fins the middle of the fairway.
Scheffler (-1) putts up the hill at the 6th and leaves it short for birdie.
Birdie for Lowry! He hits another good iron shot to 16 feet and rams his putt in the middle for birdie to get -2! Playing very well so far.
Scheffler (-1) misses his birdie putt. Lowry (-1) the same, doesn’t threaten the hole short. One of the tournament favourites Jon Rahm (-1) joins them in the under pars with a birdie at the par 3 6th.
Olesen (-5) is safely through Calamity Corner without a calamity, a safe par, and you’d expect him to post the clubhouse lead, with conditions supposed to be worse later, it could last the day.
Lowry (-1) at the short par 4 5th hits a drive to the short and right and struggles to get it close with his pitch, but at least on the right level which Scheffler (-1) from much closer fails to achieve.
Tom McKibbin and Pádraig Harrington finish their rounds. McKibbin, who was in the bunker off the tee, knocks his par putt five or six feet past.
Harrington pars the 18th, a round of four over 75. A few wayward drives cost him, he will be disappointed with that.
McKibbin holes his bogey putt, a one over 72. Promised more as he was two under early on the back nine.
Hojgaard posts the clubhouse lead with a two-under 69 in the first group out.
Birdie for Olesen (-5), who hits a brilliant chip in on the 15th. Round of his life so far.
Big par for Scheffler (-1) at the 4th gets the fist pump treatment after he got up and down from short of the green.
Lowry (-1) hits his putt from 28 feet to gimme range and another stress-free par.
Matthew Jordan, who has proven to be a bit of a links specialist, moves to -2, the same score as Fitzpatrick.
Lowry (-1) at the 4th makes it four out of four GIRs. His approach hits a bank and kicks on nicely to near the back of the green, again an outside birdie chance.
McKibbin (E) and Harrington (+4) are at the last hole a 466 yards par 4 now, the first group out. McKibbin hits his drive into the bunker. Harrington lands just short of the bunker.
Another one down the middle for Lowry (-1) at the 4th, who looks very much at ease on the links. Lowry told Philip Reid about his links build-up before the tournament:
A par for Lowry (-1) at the 3rd as his birdie putt just misses. Meanwhile, it’s a birdie for Scheffler (-1). The world number one goes under par for the day.
From Philip Reid at Royal Portrush:
Unusual to see Shane Lowry sporting a blue top rather than his traditional black but the 2019 champion has started off like his old self, his birdie putt on the first unluckily horse-shoeing out and then his eagle putt on the Par 5 second coming up just short for a tap-in birdie to get into red figures.
Lowry got a terrific reception on the first tee and had a huge smile, certainly looks very comfortable in his skin and relishing the great support from the crowds which, I have to say, are incredible. They have lined up behind the ropes from early morning and their energy is electric.
At the par 3, third, 167 yards for Lowry (-1) as he floats one up to the middle of the green, it runs to the back level but safe shot and outside chance for birdie.
Scheffler (E) gets the required spin off the slope and about half the distance to the hole, a good chance for birdie. Poor start for Morikawa (+1) who pulls his iron shot left of the green.
Birdie for Lowry! His eagle putt comes up just short but he’s up to -1. Great start. Par for Scheffler (E) at the par five, no fireworks yet.
An eagle for Jacob Skov Olesen at the 12th moves him up to -4 and he takes the lead. Good showing for the Danes as Nicolai Hojgaard (-2) hits a good short iron from the rough at the 15th to set up another birdie attempt.
Lowry (E) is on the fairway at the second, a par 5. From 258 yards, he hits a sweet iron shot through the wind to set up an eagle chance!
Lee Westwood takes the lead on his own on -3 with a birdie at 7. Rolling back the years.
Missed chance for Lowry! His putt just hits the lip of the hole and goes out. Just a par at the first.
Shane Lowry has teed off as a few drops of rain start to come. A solid opening shot down the fairway.
Then a brilliant approach to close! Lowry starts as he finished last time. Great reception for that.
Birdie for Clarke, two great hits at 7, lags the birdie up close.
Birdie for McKibbin as he knocks in from short-range at the 12th.
On the first tee now are a lot of recent Major winners - Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun and Jon Rahm. After them, Scheffler, Morikawa and the main man, the former champion at Portrush, Shane Lowry.
Decent iron shot up the left of the green just rolls off for Mickelson (-2). Beautiful shot by Koepka at the first who starts with a bang, to gimme distance as he spins it back off the slope.
McKibbin (E) for eagle on the par 5 12th to get the double bogey shots back... just short but a good chance for birdie.
Mickelson is joined in the lead by Lee Westwood (-2). The over 50s showing form early, it’s like we’re back in 2013.
A sign of the threat on the first with nerves as Ben Griffin takes out drive and snap hooks it way left to the out of bounds. Rory McIlroy, of course, took an 8 here in 2019 en route to missing the cut.
Well-hit wedge shot by McKibbin (-2) gives him a chance to save bogey on the 11th. He pulls the putt though and sadly back to even par after a double bogey. And a double bogey for Hojgaard too. Phil Mickelson leads the Open!
Disaster for McKibbin (-2) at the 11th hole as he hits into some shrubbery after a wayward drive... and he doesn’t get it out! Oh dear. Back to the fairway now, but will be playing his fourth at the par 4 and a bit back from the green yet. Staring at a double bogey and giving up his early work.
An eagle attempt for Mickelson at the seventh hole that would put him in the lead... just doesn’t have the pace but he moves to -2.
Unfortunately a big search for a ball at the 10th, Harrington can’t find it and will have to take a penalty. Now at +2, his round is starting to unravel.
McKibbin (-2) is on the fairway, 150 yards to the hole and hits a very good shot below the hole. A chance to get to 3 under and take the lead.
Double bogey for Harrington! He falls to +4.
Birdie for McKibbin on 9! He moves into an early tie for the lead on two under.
Here’s highlights of Harrington’s opening hole:
Birdie putt at the second for Clarke, but he just leaves it to the left with his putt. A slight breeze at Portrush but relatively benign conditions and the calm before the expected storm early on. Conditions are very scoreable.
Harrington got off to a bright start with a birdie on the first hole, but it’s been harder for him since. Two bogeys followed on three and four before three pars leave him on +1 after seven holes.
McKibbin just made the first eagle of the day to move to -1, just one shot behind the early leader Nicolai Hojgaard.
Former champion Darren Clarke has parred the opening hole.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Open Championship from Royal Portrush, only the third Major ever to be hosted on the island of Ireland. Last time out here, Shane Lowry created one of the greatest weeks in Irish sporting history by winning the Claret Jug in 2019. He would love to do it again and he tees off at 10.09am. Already on the course are Pádraig Harrington (who hit the opening tee shot), Tom McKibbin and Darren Clarke. Lowry tees off in the marquee group of the morning with world number one Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa at 10.09am.
Later, Rory McIlroy continues the home charge when he tees off with Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas at 3.10pm. The whole of Northern Ireland will be watching that one. By that stage, Mary Hannigan will be joining the blog to give you updates, but for now, it’s myself to bring you through the morning action, as soon as I get set up.
If you’d like to know all the tee times and more information about the event, check my guide here:
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