- Latest news from day one at Royal St George’s at Sandwich
- Leaderboard: check the latest standings on the official site
- And you can email Scott with your thoughts on the golf
Only one Frenchman has won the Open: Arnaud Massy in 1907 at Birkdale. Thomas Levet made it to a play-off in 2002, while you may recall the heroic Jean van de Velde playing the 72nd at Carnoustie in 1999 in the brave, windswept and impossibly romantic style; in his own words, “like d’Artagnan”. But nobody else from France, excluding Massy himself in 1911, has come as close since. Benjamin Hebert is setting some solid foundations for another Gallic tilt, though: birdie at 14 move him to within a couple of the lead at -4.
McIlroy rolls in his birdie putt. That was crucial, partly to stem the bleeding on the scorecard, but mainly to build a little belief with the flat stick. The work he’s been doing with putting coach Brad Faxon – who tied for seventh at Turnberry in 1994 – is not yet complete.
Time for Rory to react. From 160 yards, he wedges pin high to eight feet at 8. If he doesn’t pop that in, what little that remains of his confidence will surely evaporate. Up on 15, the 2020 PGA champ Collin Morikawa, having turned in 33, should end a run of pars by slotting home an eight-footer of his own. But the birdie chance slips by the left. he remains at -2.
McIlroy gouges out from the rough at 7, only to hit a heavy long iron that leaves him well short of the green. He chips to six feet, but it may as well be 66 feet for all the good his putter’s doing right now. Another one shaves the hole, and it’s three bogeys in a row. So much for that fast start; this is beginning to look like yet another dismal opening round at a major, albeit not of Portrush proportions quite yet. He needs to check this downward momentum pronto.
Corey Conners has some high finishes this season. Third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, seventh at the Players, and tied for eighth at the Masters (as well as a tie for tenth at the 2020 Masters, technically also this season). The 29-year-old Canadian is building foundations for another high finish; birdies at 6, 11 and now 14 have brought him up to -3.
-6: Oosthuizen (F)
-5: Spieth (F), Harman (F)
-4: Hughes (F), Frittelli (F), Cink (F)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Senior (F), Rose (F), Scheffler (F), An (F), Conners (14), Mitchell (13), Hebert (13)
Back-to-back birdies for the 2018 champ Francesco Molinari at 13 and 14. He’s -2. More European joy meanwhile for Benjamin Hebert, the 34-year-old Frenchman following up birdies at 3 and 4 with another at 12. He’s -3.
The wind’s well up now, not making things any easier. That may well explain why none of the late starters are making a Spieth-Harman style procession of the front nine. McIlroy will have been hoping to make such a statement, but he’s in danger of making another of his world-famous cold starts. Having carded back-to-back bogeys, he’s just sent a huge hook into the deepest filth down the left of 7. It’s a par five, so there’s plenty of scope to recover, but the overall signs aren’t good, and the mood music is a miserable dirge as well.
McIlroy splashes out from the bunker at 6 to four feet. It’s a fine bunker shot, but nothing’s guaranteed on the greens for Rory, and he dribbles a very uncertain effort left of the cup. The break was always going to win out there. After back-to-back bogeys, he’s +1, and that wedge into 2 seems an awfully long time ago now.
A round of 68 for Jaco Ahlers. The 38-year-old from South Africa has one previous Open appearance to his name; he missed the cut in 2009 at Turnberry. He’s well positioned to make it this time. Patrick Reed, having bogeyed 5, rattles in a 25-footer for bounceback birdie at 6. The 2018 Masters champ is level par.
McIlroy, spooked after missing that short putt on 5, loses concentration on his downswing at the par-three 6th. He laughs ironically, and a little bitterly, the split second after making contact and sending his ball into a deep bunker to the right of the green. Either he’s disgusted with himself, or he’s annoyed at someone and/or something that’s put him off. It’s unclear. What isn’t so clear is his head, which has seemed a bit addled since missing that short birdie chance at 2.
Rory McIlroy’s putter lets him down yet again. He looks to have scrambled his par at 5 with a wedge to three feet, but pulls the par putt and he’s back to level par. The flat stick arguably cost him a sustained challenge on Sunday at the US Open last month; it’s already cost him a couple of shots here this afternoon. Tony Finau is also someone who occasionally struggles on the greens, but they’re dropping at the moment: birdies at 13 and 14 whisk the big man up to -2.
Keith Mitchell has a fairly nondescript resume save one highlight: the 2019 Honda Classic, when he closed with a 67 to pip Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler for his only win on the PGA Tour. The 29-year-old from Chattanooga is choo-chooing along nicely this afternoon: birdies at 4, 6 and now 11 have taken him up to -3, where he enjoys a share of seventh.
The 30-year-old South African Daniel van Tonder is making his Open debut this week. He opened with bogey, but kickstarted his round by holing out from the fairway for birdie at 5. More birdies at 6, 9 and 14 followed. A closing bogey, the result of finding the fairway bunker that’s trapped many a drive today, gives his card some symmetry if nothing else. He signs for a two-under 68.
The 2017 PGA champion Justin Thomas started quietly with three pars. He makes his first move on 4, steering in a right-to-left curler from 25 feet for birdie. He’s going round with Tommy Fleetwood, who found the front of the green in regulation, albeit miles from the flag. He’s left with a huge left-to-right breaker, over a hump, from the best part of 80 feet. He does pretty well to get to within ten, but can’t make the saver and drops to +1.
Rickie Fowler rolls in a gentle left-to-right slider on the tricky 4th for his first birdie of the week. Back on 3, Cameron Smith slices an awful tee shot into deep muck up a bank to the right of the par-three, but he flops out to six feet and scrambles a fine par.
There’s not a lot of movement at the top of the leader board right now. Let’s give it time. But here’s a reminder of how the earlier starters made their mark.
-6: Oosthuizen (F)
-5: Spieth (F), Harman (F)
-4: Hughes (F), Frittelli (F), Cink (F)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Senior (F), Rose (F), Scheffler (F), An (F), Van Tonder (16)
-2: Bezuidenhout (F), Hovland (F), Casey (F), Kirk (F), D Johnson (F), Garcia (F), Snedeker (F), Fox (11), Morikawa (9), Mitchell (9), Hebert (8), Simpson (6), Kisner (4)
McIlroy gets a read off Cam Smith, who rattles in a straight par putt from almost exactly the same spot. But he looks a bit twitchy over it, adjusting his line a couple of times, before finally making the stroke … and missing the hole on the right. That’s a poor effort by comparison to the quick and confident stylings of the Aussie. He remains -1; Smith is level par.
McIlroy looks like he’s on one. He splits the fairway at 2, then from 75 yards, lands his wedge 20 feet past the flag. The spin bites, and drags his ball back pin high, leaving a six-footer for another birdie. Meanwhile there are slow starts for Tyrrell Hatton and Phil Mickelson, who are going round together. Both have just made their second bogey of the day, at 4, and both find themselves at +2.
The Brandt Snedeker showboat has come into dock. Having nearly aced 16 and holed out from 100 yards for eagle at 17, he pars the last and signs for a fine 68. He was going round today with An Byeong-hun, who finished strongly himself with birdies at 17 and 18. A 67, and he’s -3.
In defence of 2009 champion Stewart Cink, with Steve Buist. “I, too, would have liked to have seen Tom Watson win instead of Stewart Cink, but take heart. I can tell you that Cink is a very nice man. I had been given a crap assignment on the final day of the 2006 Canadian Open – ask the American golfers after the final round was finished what they remembered about 9/11 on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. All these guys wanted to do was get the heck out of Canada as fast as they could. But Stewart Cink was patient, gracious with his time, incredibly polite and thoughtful. Super nice guy.”
Bogey for Will Zalatoris at the last, following his egregious yip on 17. He ends with a disappointing 69 in the circumstances, though he’ll always have the first eagle of the week, made from the fairway at 12. Lee Westwood is in with a 71, and wanders off looking mighty frustrated. Dustin Johnson signs for a 68. And back on 1, plenty of hollering and cavorting as McIlroy tidies up for his opening birdie, much to the gallery’s delight. What a contrast to Portrush!
Good news for fans of Rory McIlroy. He’s found the fairway with his opening tee shot. That’s a vast improvement to his start last time out at Portrush, where he sent his first shot out of bounds, en route to running up a quadruple-bogey eight. He’s got plenty of recent form for starting majors cold, so could do with getting something going quickly today. And here he is, screeching his wedge to three feet! A great chance to get off to a flyer.
Brandt Snedeker’s round goes from the ridiculous to the preposterous. He’s just been robbed of what looked a certain hole-in-one at 16. Now he sends a one-bounce wedge into the cup from 100 yards for eagle at 17! Out of nowhere, with two swishes of an iron, he’s catapulted up the standings to -2.
In with 67s: Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler, the latter having unveiled a monster stinger earlier in the week, no bad weapon on a windy links. They’re -3, a stroke ahead of Sergio Garcia, who has closed with two birdies, rolling in a big putt on 17 and wedging to a couple of feet at the last. A 68, and wouldn’t it be lovely to see Sergio add a Claret Jug to his green jacket? Yes, oh yes, yes it would, but let’s not get ourselves in a state too early in the week. Forget I said anything.
Brandt Snedeker is this close to an ace at the 156-yard par-three 16th! It’s unbelievable how his ball didn’t drop. It landed ten feet shy of the flag, rolled up serenely towards the left lip, then took a gentle right turn … ensuring it would topple in, right? Wrong. It somehow defied gravity, before then taking a screeching hard right, stopping half an inch behind the cup. Eh? Such a shame. It would have been a sixth hole-in-one here since 1981, more than any other course on the rota. But there we go. Snedeker taps in for birdie that moves him to level par.
It’s been ten years since the Golf Boys burst onto the scene. Rickie Fowler was boy-band pretty back then; now he’s rocking a more mature look, sporting a moustache that wouldn’t see him out of place in the video for Sabotage. He’d be an extremely popular winner, especially after his struggles of 2020, and he’s been edging back into form, tying for eighth at this year’s PGA. He opens with nerve-settling par after a wild drive. He’s going round today with Xander Schauffele and Bob MacIntyre, who also walk off the green with their pars.
Stewart Cink leaves his second at 18 short of the green. It looks like a first bogey of the day is on the cards, but from the best part of 60 feet, and over a mound, he lags to kick-in distance. The 2009 Open champion tidies up for his 66. He’s -4. “I still can’t get over Stewart Cink,” says Simon Farnaby, speaking for more than a few of us, I’ll be bound. Oh Tom.
You have to worry for Will Zalatoris in the long term. A strange thing to say, perhaps, for a 24-year-old who has already finished second at the Masters, and has top-ten finishes at the US Open and PGA on his CV too. But he’s got a serious problem with short putts, and on 17 he prods right of the cup from 18 inches. That’s a proper yip, the head of his putter shuddering in mid-air as he pulls it back, all the smoothness apparent in his longer strokes gone. He looks a bit like Bernhard Langer, too. Bogey, and he’s -2.
Jason Day had his best chance to win the Open at St Andrews in 2015. He shot a bogey-free 70 on the final day, but left his putt at the last one turn short, missing out on a playoff with Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman and eventual winner Zach Johnson. He’ll not be getting so close this year, unless something very strange happens. He’s just triple-bogeyed the 9th, hitting the turn in 40. He’s +5 already, and there’s a fair chance his back is giving him gyp again.
The defending champion Shane Lowry can’t get up and down from 80 yards, and that’s bogey at the closing hole. He signs for a 71. Not ideal, but not the worst after that nervous bogey-bogey start. Louis Oosthuizen manages to scramble successfully, chipping to six feet and tidying up. He ends with a blemish-free 64. And it’s birdie for Jon Rahm, who makes his six footer … just … and, like Lowry, signs for a 71.
-6: Oosthuizen (F)
-5: Spieth (F), Harman (F)
-4: Hughes (F), Frittelli (F), Cink (17)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Senior (F), Zalatoris (16), Rose (16)
Thanks John … and the leader Louis Oosthuizen is already up against it down the last, having pulled his drive into a troublesome bunker. Shane Lowry – who has battled back to level par after making birdies at 16 and 17 – is in there alongside him. Both are forced to take their medicine and chip out. Jon Rahm, meanwhile, finds the short stuff and is able to wedge to six feet. He’ll have a chance for a closing birdie that’d make a poor round a little more palatable.
And with that, I shall hand back over to Scott Murray. It’s all shaping up rather nicely.
Has Zalatoris hurt himself? Something looked to go as he tried to dig out of some hefty rough. There’s a limp back to the fairway on the 15th, though perhaps he is forlorn after some play that failed to live up to that eagle he landed. Shades of Kylian Mbappé’s walk of no shame? Nope, that genuinely looks like could be something nasty but Lazarus-like he drills his third to within inches of the hole. Well done, son. Mackenzie Hughes, who briefly led, overpowers his shot to 18 and has a salvage job on his hands to stay at -4. And he lands it, taking a 66 into the hut. Rose, on 15, misses a birdie. Oosthuizen may be red-hot but his birdie on 17 falls short, and Harman on 18, lands a birdie that means he joins Spieth on 65 and a share of the clubhouse lead. The scoring has been strong, and puts distinct pressure on those going off later in the day.
-6: Oosthuizen (17)
-5: Spieth (18)
-4: Harman (18)
-4: Hughes (18)
-4: Fritelli (18)
-4: Cink (16)
Oosthuizen plays a beauty on the par-three 16th and may well climb to -6. He does just that, and he’s out in front all alone. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson is up to -2 after 14 and his back nine is a sincere improvement. Spieth’s shot to the green gives him chance to sign off for a 64 but he makes a mess of his putt, misreading and under-powering but will put a 65 in the book. Bryson, up ahead, scoops up an approach shot that’s much closer than that of his compatriot but follows Spieth in not sinking his birdie chance. He finishes on +1, not bad considering he only hit the fairway on four occasions. Dylan Fritelli joins the -4 club after the 17th.
-6: Oosthuizen (16)
-5: Spieth (18)
-4: Harman (17)
-4: Hughes (17)
-4: Fritelli (17)
-4: Cink (15)
Stewart Cink, after a lovely putt on the 14th, joins the -4 club. Justin Rose, after the 14th, was on -3 but then looks in trouble on 14 after almost going out of bounds. A five will be a good result for him. Oosthuizen made it to -5 after sinking an easy birdie on 14. The 2010 winner looks in decent fettle and has a chance to get to -6 that he can’t make. He’s always been a talent, right? There are roars on 18 at a DeChambeau drive that almost hits the green on a par four. Spieth is rather more measured off the tee.
Bryson goes for driver on 17th, and wallops it. “I slipped,” he blurts as the ball goes close to whacking someone in the crowd out right on the fairway. It falls short of doing so though there is no shout of “fore” from its deliverer. He slices out from the rough and takes it beyond the hole. That’s still an amazing feat of strength. Spieth ends up in a similar position after landing on the fairway. DeChambeau’s birdie putt is a bit short, and Spieth’s was on the right lines and similarly lacked gas. He takes par but DeChambeau does not, and totters off muttering to himself at +1. He had hit that tee shot 363 yards.
Spieth on the par 3 16th, plays a beauty to the green. He’s not been in the best form, but he’s a fighter even when not in the nick of his imperial phase, and he goes to -5 and the overall lead. His shot is better than DeChambeau who lands short. His putt is excellent but the margin for error was too much and he will have to settle for par. Hughes has given himself work to do on 15 by over-amping his pitch to the green, and he ends up dropping a shot. Oosthuizen, on -4, is looking strong on the 14th, and has a birdie putt to go to -5. On the first, Francesco Molinari begins with a birdie that scrapes in via the lip. Harman, on 15, plays a shot that ends up as a bump and run to give himself a decent chance to go to -5. He can’t make it. Spieth has the lead all to himself for now.
-5: Spieth (16)
-4: Harman (14)
-4: Hughes (15)
-4: Oosthuizen (13)
Hughes, the leader, has a birdie putt on 14 to open up a two-shot leader but stays overground. Harman lays up to give himself the chance of a share of the lead but misses it, and that looked a gimme. Spieth’s shot on 15 is superb, and he’s got a birdie chance that he confidently curves to go to -4. On the same hole, DeChambeau finds himself buried in the bush, and cleaves a shot way left. “Oh come on,” he wails before playing a rather decent saver and has a putt to save par. He fidgets and fidgets, and makes a right mess of it. He’s back to level when he had a chance to stay under. Jack Senior signs off after a 67, nice work from the Englishman. Chris Kirk signs off tied for fourth after missing one on the last.
Hello there! Will Zalatoris pitches up on the 12th, and it spins back into the hole riding the ridges to go in and take him to -3. That’s an eagle, the first this year. Lovely stuff. Rose takes his second on the 12th, a bunker in between him and the green, and he lands to the left, out of danger. Lowry meanwhile plays a decent effort from the sand. Oosthuizen on 13 lands a birdie and goes to -4 for a share of second with Brian Harman. It’s moving day already.
-5: Hughes (13)
-4: Harman (13)
-4: Oosthuizen (13)
Bryson DeChambeau does his bull-worker warmup, then on 15 splats his ball wide, and grunts in disappointment. He will have to dig one out. Meanwhile, on 13, Lowry lands his ball into the sand after under-clubbing. Spieth will follow Bryson on 15, and lands in safety on the fairway.
Oh Jordan Spieth. He stands up and walks after a birdie chance that wide, and he knows it. Par will have to do. Justin Rose hits par at 11, and is at -2 and looking full of confidence. Darren Clarke signs off at +1 with a big smile on 18. Repeat that and making the cut for Saturday looks likely.
Jack Senior wafts one wide to go to -4. Jordan Spieth steps up at the 14th to pitch within a couple of feet of hitting that same score. Bryson, pink of cap and with shoes not dissimilar to those of a Premier League pundit, ruminates over an eagle putt at that same 14th. He takes his time, as per, but undercooks it. He still lands a birdie, his third in succession. DJ meanwhile goes to -1 after a long putt for birdie on the 11th.
Hello there, signing in for the great man while he consumes his power bars and lentils. As a man whose golfing experience extends to the pitch and putt at South Park, Macclesfield, I will do my level best.
Email me at john.brewin.casual@theguardian.com and @johnbrewin_
Brian Harman bounces back from his dropped shot at 12 with birdie at 13. He closes in on Hughes at the top.
-5: Hughes (13)
-4: Harman (13)
Chris Kirk’s best performance at a major came at the Open: a tie for 19th at Hoylake in 2014. Birdies at 14 and 16 bring the 36-year-old from Athens, Georgia into a share of second at -3. He’s joined there by An Byeong-hun, who follows up birdie at 1 with back-to-back efforts at 7 and 8. Justin Rose meanwhile birdies 10 to move to -2.
Paul Casey pars 18. That’s his 16th par in a row, after birdies at 1 and 3. A tidy card. Almost Faldoesque. He signs for a 68. Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau follows up birdie at 12 with another at 13, and he’s fighting hard to turn things around after some very tricky times. He’s level par. And up on 18, his pal Brooks Koepka drops a stroke at the last, punishment for an errant drive, but still signs for a decent opening round of 69.
A big change at the top, as Mackenzie Hughes birdies 12, while his playing partner Brian Harman makes bogey. Hughes got his reward by landing his approach to eight feet, while Harman’s second toppled down a bank to the left. All of a sudden, the 30-year-old Canadian is two clear of the chasing pack!
-5: Hughes (12)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Senior (15), Spieth (12), Harman (12), Oosthuizen (11)
Here comes Sergio! Garcia, who should have won in 2007, and probably in 2014 as well, follows birdie at 6 by pouring in another at 8. He’s =2 and he couldn’t, could he? Since winning the Masters in 2017, he’s played in 16 major championships, missing the cut in 11 of them. But his best result during that dismal sequence, a tie for 19th at the US Open, came just last month. So, y’know, maybe something’s stirring.
Viktor Hovland finds a fairway bunker off the tee at 18. He nearly salvages the situation up on the green, but his long attempt to drain a par saver stops one turn short. A downbeat end to a fine round, but he’s still in with a 68.
-4: Harman (11), Hughes (11)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Senior (14), Spieth (12), Oosthuizen (10)
Something finally happens for Bryson DeChambeau! His tee shot at 12 squeaks into more thick rough, down the right, and he can only force his second onto the front of the green. He’s left with a long putt up and over a ridge … but he drains it! A birdie out of nothing, and that’s a huge momentum shifter. He’s +1. Meanwhile the 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen, who has somehow never added to his maiden major, coming up short with absurd regularity, looks to be in the mood to go again. Three birdies in a row, at 8, 9 and 10, have whisked him right up the standings to -3.
A clumsy three-putt bogey for Dustin Johnson at 8. The big man, who came so close here last time in 2011, only to flay one out of bounds from the centre of the fairway at 14 on Sunday, slips back to -1.
Birdie for Christiaan Bezuidenhout on 18. That’s three in his final five holes, and the 27-year-old South African, who has buzzed around the fringes at every major this year, without making a serious tilt at any, is nicely placed at -2 after his 68.
Mackenzie Hughes steers a 40-foot left-to-right curler in for birdie at 10, and he’s joining his playing partner Brian Harman at the top of the leader board. Meanwhile back on 9, Rahm runs up a double bogey, and some of the old steam comes parping out of the US Open champion’s lugs.
-4: Harman (10), Hughes (10)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Willett (F), Hovland (17), Senior (13), Spieth (10)
Guido Migliozzi is coming off the back of a tie for fourth at the US Open, his major championship debut. The exuberant young Italian seems to be taking to the Open equally well, raking in a monster curler on 9 to hit the turn in 33. He’s -2 and all smiles. Back down the hole, Jon Rahm drives into a deep fairway bunker, then takes too much club and slams straight into the face. He’s forced to take his medicine, as he should have done in the first place. He splashes out and will be doing well now to escape with bogey.
The bunkers at Royal St George’s can cause trouble for even the very best.
Watch @JonRahmpga‘s group live https://t.co/nF1CsBMnp5#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/1yMRRaZNF3
Birdie for Danny Willett at 18! He signs for a fine opening round of 67. His travails post-Masters win slightly obscure a very respectable record at the Open: a tie for sixth at St Andrews in 2015, and the same again at Portrush last time round. What a story it would be if he could add the Claret Jug to his green jacket. He’s -3.
Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau send their tee shots at 10 into the jungle. Spieth is able to manufacture a quite sensational punch into the heart of the green, and nearly drains the long birdie putt he leaves himself. Bryson however whistles a hot one through the green and over the back, down a hill and into more nonsense. His chip up stops six feet short. He nails the par saver, though, and that at least stops the rot. Spieth is -3, DeChambeau +2.
The leader Brian Harman drops his first stroke of the day. From prime position in the centre of the 9th fairway, he misses the green to the left. He can’t get down in two, and slips back to -4. That’s a hell of a front nine nonetheless: 31 strokes, and he’s still one in front.
-4: Harman (9)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Hovland (16), Senior (12), Spieth (9), Hughes (9)
Jack Senior doesn’t have much of a record at the Open. He’s made three previous appearances, at Troon in 2016, Carnoustie in 2018, and Portrush in 2019, missing the cut every time. But the 32-year-old from Blackpool arrived at Sandwich in form, having secured his place here with a final-day 66 at the Scottish Open last weekend. Having turned in 33, he’s just nearly slam-dunked his approach at 12 in for eagle. Birdie is more than acceptable, though, and he joins the group at -3.
Li Haotong is in with a five-over 75. Given he was six-over after six holes, that’s some good scrapping, but the 25-year-old Chinese star, third in 2017, will need something special tomorrow if he’s to survive the cut, and there’s nothing in his recent form that suggests he’ll be able to find it.
Brian Harman does indeed tidy up for his fifth birdie in eight holes. Dustin Johnson sinks a long one on 5 to move to -2. Jordan Spieth pars 9 to hit the turn in 32. And his playing partner Bryson DeChambeau trundles a clumsy chip 30 feet past the hole, from where bogey is inevitable. He turns in 37, well off the early pace at +2.
Bryson DeChambeau is struggling right now. A birdie at 7 looked to have got him back on track, but he pulled his second into thick rough to the side of the 8th green, shortsided, leaving himself an impossible task of getting up and down. He’s followed that bogey with a wild tee shot down the left of 9. He was fortunate to find his ball in the deep filth, but could only power out with little control. He’s facing a difficult up and down from greenside rough again.
One of the shots of the day so far by the leader Brian Harman. He wedges into 8, using the camber to the left of the green to bring his ball round to a couple of feet. He’ll surely be cleaning up for yet another birdie.
A word on Justin Harding, there, who scrambled par brilliantly on 18 from gnarly rough to the left of the green. He cards 67 and joins Andy Sullivan in the very early clubhouse lead at -3. Birdie for Victor Hovland at 14, meanwhile, and he continues to go along very nicely at -3.
Birdie for Danny Willett at 15, his third in four holes, and suddenly the 2016 Masters champion is just a couple off the lead at -2. Will Zalatoris joins him there with birdies at 3 and 4. And it’s now four birdies in a row for Jordan Spieth, who wedges to six feet at 8 and tickles in the putt. This is a sensational charge by the 2017 champion!
-4: Harman (7)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Spieth (8), Hughes (7)
Shane Lowry sends a smooth tee shot at the par-three 6th to eight feet, and rolls in the putt. The birdie brings the champ back to +1. Jon Rahm sends his tee shot close too, and his flat stick suddenly warms up a bit. In goes the birdie putt, and he returns to level par.
It’s been a slow start for Jon Rahm. The world number one’s putter is stone cold right now, and having passed up a couple of half-chances over the first four holes, yips a short one at 5 to slip to +1.
Andy Sullivan birdies 18 and he’s signing his name for a 67. Not a bad morning’s work. Richard Bland, who hit the first shot of the week a few hours ago, cards a level-par 70. Meanwhile it’s a third birdie in a row for Jordan Spieth, who joins the crowd at -2, and three birdies in four holes for Justin Harding, the 35-year-old South African picking up strokes at 14, 16 and 17.
-4: Harman (6)
-3: Sullivan (F), Harding (17), Hughes (6)
-2: Hovland (13), Casey (12), Senior (9), Spieth (7)
Mackenzie Hughes is making his Open debut this week. The 30-year-old from Ontario is the first player in history to win on the Canadian Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour, and he looks in the mood to pop a European Tour event onto his CV. Three birdies on the bounce, at 4, 5 and 6, have shot him up the standings into second place. He’ll be pleased that there’s only one tree on the entire course here at Sandwich, given what happened to him at the US Open at Torrey Pines last month, when his tee shot at 11 got stuck in some branches and refused to drop.
-4: Harman (6)
-3: Hughes (6)
-2: Sullivan (17), Harding (16), Hovland (12), Casey (12), Dahmen (10), Senior (8)
Jordan Spieth follows his birdie at 5 with another at 6. He moves into red figures. Andy Sullivan misses a short birdie putt at 16, then nearly drains a long one at 17. Pars instead, and he remains at -2. And on 5, Brian Harman makes it four birdies in five – it really should be five in five – by spinning his second at 5 to a couple of feet. He’s flown out of the blocks!
-4: Harman (5)
-2: Sullivan (17), Harding (16), Hovland (11), Casey (11), Dahmen (9), Senior (8), Hughes (5)
Jordan Spieth curls in a 25-footer on 5 and returns to level par. He strolls off wearing a broad smile. If his driver behaves itself, you’d fancy the 2017 champ’s chances. On the subject of the big stick, Brooks Koepka nearly drives the 415-yard par-four 10th. But golf’s all about your short game, isn’t it, and he clumps a careless chip miles past the pin, then rushes a slightly hysterical long birdie putt four feet past the hole. He tidies up for his par, but that’s a disappointment given the fine tee shot. He remains at -1.
Opening birdie for Justin Rose! He’s going round with Dustin Johnson, who will be pretty happy with his par after flaying his opening tee shot into filth. DJ escapes thanks to a fine bump up a greenside bank to a couple of feet. Meanwhile this is typical of golf: Brian Harman, having made three long-range putts to open with a triple-birdie blitz, pulls an eight-footer for birdie right of the hole at 4. The easiest chance missed. He remains at -3, though. It couldn’t last forever, could it?
Birdie for Brooks Koepka at 9. He rolls in a 30-footer and turns in 34. Andy Sullivan birdies 15 to rejoin the group at -2. But it’s a bogey-bogey start for the defending champ: Shane Lowry sends his tee shot at 2 into waist-high rough down the left. He’s always out of position from there, and he’s +2. A shake of the head and a groan from the gallery.
This is astonishing! Brian Harman sends his tee shot at the par-three 3rd 20 feet past the flag, then strokes his putt into the cup in a most nonchalant manner. That’s a birdie-birdie-birdie start! As Paul McGinley points out on Sky, racking up 70 to 80 feet in putts is more than acceptable over 18 holes; Harman has already achieved that in three. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for Viktor Hovland at 9 and 10, and the exciting young Norwegian is right in the mix.
-3: Harman (3)
-2: Horsfield (10), Hovland (10), Casey (9), Dahmen (8)
Shane Lowry’s errant opening tee shot costs him. He can only squirt his second into a greenside bunker, and he can’t get up and down. He begins his title defence with a bogey. Pars for partners Louis Oosthuizen and Jon Rahm.
Jordan Spieth pulls his tee shot at the par-three 3rd down the swale to the left of the green. He can’t chip up close, and the bogey drops him to +1. Meanwhile it’s a fast and spectacular start for Brian Harman, the diminutive American draining long putts on 1 and 2 to immediately grab himself a share of the lead. Should Harman prevail this week, he’d become only the third left-hander to win the Open, following Bob Charles (1963) and Phil Mickelson (2013).
-2: Horsfield (10), Casey (8), Harman (2)
Lowry is part of a star-studded group that also includes the 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen and the new US Open champ Jon Rahm. Warm applause all round as Oosthuizen and Rahm send their tee shots straight down the middle.
DeChambeau rattles in his par saver on 2. That’s a fine up and down in the circumstances, and should calm him down after that nervous start. Meanwhile there’s a huge ovation for the reigning champion Shane Lowry as he takes to the first tee. He’s the first man to have held the Claret Jug for two years since his compatriot Padraig Harrington (2007-08) albeit for a slightly different reason. He grits his teeth as he sends his opening drive into the thick rough down the right.
Bryson is knee-deep in the rough. They’ve not cut this stuff for the best part of two years, and it shows. The grass grabs his club and turns it viciously, the ball trundling apologetically into the semi-rough on the other side of the hole. He chips up to five feet, but that’ll be a tricky one having started out with a bogey.
Joel Dahmen joins the leaders at -2 with birdie at the par-three 6th. Meanwhile back on 2, a slightly twitchy DeChambeau brings out the driver, steps away from the shot upon being distracted by the gallery, shoots a killer stare, then launches his ball into thick oomska down the right. It’s going to be an entertaining round, one way or another.
Bryson is out and about! A nice sensible iron off the tee. But much good it does him. He leaves his second short and right, then, to pantomime gasps from the gallery, duffs a chip into the face of a bank. He leaves himself a 15-footer dribbler for par, and he never looks like making it. A sluggish start for one of the favourites. Par for his playing partner Jordan Spieth, though.
Sam Horsfield joins Paul Casey at the top with birdie at the par-five 7th. But Andy Sullivan once again slips back, shortsiding himself in a bunker at the par-three 11th. That’s his third bogey of the round, the third in the last five holes. Can he register a third bounceback birdie in a row? It’ll be quite the sequence if he can.
-2: Horsfield (7), Casey (6)
-1: Sullivan (11), Kim (10), Noren (8), Bezuidenhout (7), Dahmen (4), Kirk (3), Kinhult (3), Senior (3), Gooch (2)
Pretty much a perfect birdie for Brooks Koepka at 5. He strokes a drive down the left of the fairway, then wedges to ten feet. In goes the putt – at a fairly confident lick, it’s just as well the hole got in the way – and he’s back to level par. Also moving in the right direction: Ian Poulter, who having bogeyed 2, snatches the shot back at the par-three 6th with a snaky 30-footer. The 2008 runner-up is level par as well.
Another bounceback birdie for Andy Sullivan, this time at 10. He rolls in a 15-foot left-to-right drifter. He’s only parred four holes so far. You could throw a blanket over the field; there are 42 players currently out there, and there are three shots between 40 of them.
-2: Sullivan (10), Casey (5)
Li Haotong has done well to stem the bleeding. Birdie at 7, followed by a couple of pars. That’s 40 shots for the front nine, not exactly the ideal start, but in golf you’ve got to grab any sliver of positivity with both hands, and at least he’s heading in the right direction now. He’s +5.
The Open is back … and so are the punters.
Related: Open ready for return of crowds with army marshals to ease security fears
Andy Sullivan severely overhits from the bottom of the swale to the right of 9. He leaves himself a 20-foot par putt, and it’s never going in. Bogey, and he hits the turn in 34. Paul Casey is now the sole leader at -2, though he should really have a two-shot lead now: he was given a read of a straight eight-footer for birdie at 4 by his partner Abraham Ancer, but shoved it right.
The new Scottish Open champion Min Woo Lee is this close to joining the leaders at -2. But he fails to hit a straight ten-footer at 5 and remains at -1. He’s joined there by Danny Willett, moving in the wrong direction after shortsiding himself in a bunker at 6. With Andy Sullivan having just sent his approach at 9 down a swale to the right of the green, Paul Casey could be the sole leader very soon.
Darren Clarke returns to the scene of his signature triumph. It was a big enough surprise when he won here in 2011; if he was to repeat this week, the shockwaves would send acres of Royal St George’s sailing off into the briny. Nobody’s expecting anything, of course they’re not, though it’s still a wee shame when he sends his opening tee shot into the thick stuff down the right, and ends up with bogey.
An English trio leading the way early doors. Danny Willett sends his second into 5 to four feet, setting up his second birdie of the day, while Paul Casey knocks his tee shot at the par-three 3rd to a couple of feet, and has no problem tidying up. Joining the pair at the top: Andy Sullivan, who birdies 8, repairing the clumsy damage of the previous hole.
-2: Sullivan (8), Willett (5), Casey (3)
-1: Noren (6), Lee (4), Hovland (3), Kokrak (2), Dahmen (1), Long -a- (1)
It’s lovely and sunny at Sandwich, although there’s a bit of a breeze. Nothing too dramatic, wind between 10 and 15 mph, but plenty of flags a-flapping. Meanwhile bogey for Brooks Koepka at 2, the result of another off-line tee shot, and the four-time major winner is +1.
Andy Sullivan gives up sole ownership of the lead at the par-five 7th. He’s always out of position, and never looks like getting back into it. Bogey six, and he slips back into a group at -1 that also includes Justin Harding, Alex Noren, Danny Willett, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey and Jason Kokrak.
Li Haotong’s breakthrough round came at the Open. He shot a sensational 63 on Sunday at Birkdale in 2017, ending the week in third. A fair bet he’ll not be doing anything similar this week, sadly. The 25-year-old from China has played six holes so far, and has already carded three bogeys and one triple, racking up a seven at the par-four 5th. He’s +6 and while we’re not in Guy McQuitty territory yet, never mind Maurice Flitcroft, Li will be anxious to start limiting the damage.
Related: The Joy of Six: Open nightmares | Scott Murray
An early illustration of the importance of finding the fairway at the Open. Brooks Koepka lashes his opening tee shot into deep rough down the right of 1, and does extremely well to gouge out and find the back of the green. The young South African left-hander Garrick Higgo, making his Open debut, also whistles his tee shot into the rough, and can only find bunker with his second. But the third member of the group, Jason Kokrak, splits the fairway, then nearly spins his second in for eagle. He’ll tap in for birdie.
We’ve got a lovely day for it. Richard Bland had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot at gloriously sunny Sandwich, but it was his playing partner and compatriot Andy Sullivan who made the first birdie of the week. The 34-year-old Englishman followed up birdie at 1 with another at 4, and he’s the first man to hit the front this week.
-2: Sullivan (6)
-1: Ritchie (3), Willett (3), Hovland (1), Casey (1)
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the first day of the 149th Open Championship. It’s been two years since Shane Lowry won at Portrush; it’s been too long. So let’s not hang about. Here’s when everyone’s teeing it up on the Kent coast today. We’ll get right up to speed before you know it. (Players are GB & Ireland unless stated, all times BST, -a- denotes amateurs)
06.35 Marcus Armitage, Richard Bland, Andy Sullivan
06.46 Justin Harding (Rsa), Chan Kim (USA), Haotong Li (Chn)
06.57 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), -a- Abel Gallegos (Arg), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra)
07.08 Richard Mansell, Alexander Noren (Swe), J. C. Ritchie (Rsa)
07.19 Dean Burmester (Rsa), -a- Laird Shepherd, Danny Willett
07.30 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Sam Horsfield, Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
07.41 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Ryan Palmer (USA), Thomas Detry (Bel)
07.52 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Paul Casey, Ian Poulter
08.03 Garrick Higgo (Rsa), Brooks Koepka (USA), Jason Kokrak (USA)
08.14 Daniel Berger (USA), Joel Dahmen (USA), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
08.25 Darren Clarke, -a- Joe Long, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
08.36 Marcus Kinhult (Swe), Chris Kirk (USA), Jack Senior
08.47 Talor Gooch (USA), Chengtsung Pan (Tai), Jonathan Thomson
09.03 Ernie Els (Rsa), -a- Cole Hammer (USA), Gary Woodland (USA)
09.14 Sam Burns (USA), Jorge Campillo (Spa), Lucas Herbert (Aus)
09.25 Bryson DeChambeau (USA), Branden Grace (Rsa), Jordan Spieth (USA)
09.36 Brian Harman (USA), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Dylan Frittelli (Rsa)
09.47 Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Victor Perez (Fra), Kevin Streelman (USA)
09.58 Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Jon Rahm (Spa)
10.09 Stewart Cink (USA), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Lee Westwood
10.20 Dustin Johnson (USA), Justin Rose, Will Zalatoris (USA)
10.31 Sergio Garcia (Spa), -a- Yuxin Lin (Chn), Scottie Scheffler (USA)
10.42 Harris English (USA), Chez Reavie (USA), Erik van Rooyen (Rsa)
10.53 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Lucas Glover (USA), Brandt Snedeker (USA)
11.04 Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Marcel Schneider (Ger), Cameron Tringale (USA)
11.15 Lanto Griffin (USA), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Connor Worsdall
11.36 Daniel Croft, Aaron Rai, Paul Waring
11.47 -a- Christoffer Bring (Den), Jazz Janewattananond (Tha), Daniel van Tonder (Rsa)
11.58 -a- Matthias Schmid (Ger), Brendan Steele (USA), Harold Varner III (USA)
12.09 Jaco Ahlers (Rsa), Troy Merritt (USA), Adam Long (USA)
12.20 Jason Day (Aus), Joost Luiten (Ned), Johannes Veerman (USA)
12.31 John Catlin (USA), Romain Langasque (Fra), Aaron Pike (Aus)
12.42 Sam Forgan, Padraig Harrington, Brad Kennedy (Aus)
12.53 Tony Finau (USA), Adam Hadwin (Can), Billy Horschel (USA)
13.04 Patrick Cantlay (USA), Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ryan Fox (Nzl)
13.15 Marc Leishman (Aus), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Matt Wallace
13.26 Corey Conners (Can), Collin Morikawa (USA), Sebastian Munoz (Col)
13.37 -a- Sam Bairstow, Keith Mitchell (USA), Jason Scrivener (Aus)
13.48 Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Benjamin Hebert (Fra), Charley Hoffman (USA)
14.04 Keegan Bradley (USA), Rafael Cabrera (Spa), Richard T. Lee (Can)
14.15 Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Matthias Schwab (Aut), Brendon Todd (USA)
14.26 Russell Henley (USA), Shaun Norris (Rsa), Webb Simpson (USA)
14.37 Daniel Hillier (Nzl), Matt Jones (Aus), Marcel Siem (Ger)
14.48 Tyrrell Hatton, Kevin Kisner (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA)
14.59 Rickie Fowler (USA), Robert MacIntyre, Xander Schauffele (USA)
15.10 Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott (Aus), Justin Thomas (USA)
15.21 Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed (USA), Cameron Smith (Aus)
15.32 Max Homa (USA), Matt Kuchar (USA), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
15.43 Ben Hutchinson, Ryosuke Kinoshita (Jpn), Antoine Rozner (Fra)
15.54 Kurt Kitayama (USA), Deyen Lawson (Aus), Poom Saksansin (Tha)
16.05 Ricardo Celia (Col), Yuki Inamori (Jpn), Jimmy Walker (USA)
16.16 Rikard Karlberg (Swe), Ryutaro Nagano (Jpn), Nicholas Poppleton
