Fleetwood And Amateur Sensation Among Open Leaders As McIlroy Recovers
Tommy Fleetwood is part of a three-way tie for the lead after a fascinating first round of the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool
Hoylake member Matthew Jordan kicked off a mammoth day at 6.35am, compiling a superb two-under 69, but it was another local in Fleetwood who vaulted to the top of the leaderboard.
After a steady one-under front nine, Fleetwood came to life with four birdies in six holes from the 11th before navigating the treacherous 17th and 18th to sign for a 66.
He joined amateur sensation Christo Lamprecht on that mark. Last month's Amateur champion used his devastating length to overpower the Wirral links and become the first amateur to lead the game's oldest Major since Tom Lewis in 2011.
Later in the day, Argentina's Emiliano Grillo holed a monster birdie putt on 18 to make it an eclectic trio of pace-setters under the Liverpool sun.
One shot adrift, Brian Harman continued his fine form to join the group on four-under, while US Open champion Wyndham Clark put himself back in Major contention with a three-under 68.
Jordan Spieth showed glimpses of his best in a two-under 69, ending the day one clear of a mammoth group that includes some of the game's biggest names.
Scottie Scheffler's temperamental putter once again slowed his progress but he's still well in it at one-under, as is PGA champion Brooks Koepka, who recovered from a sluggish start to get into the red.
As for Rory McIlroy, last week's Scottish Open winner salvaged a level-par 71 with two birdies in his last five and a brilliant closing par after almost falling foul of Hoylake's brutal bunkers.
Alongside McIlroy, Jon Rahm cut a frustrated figure in a three-over 73, while Thursday could hardly have gone worse for Justin Thomas. Fresh off an 81 in the US Open, the American's quadruple-bogey nine to finish saw him round in 82 as another missed cut looms.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD 2023
OPEN QUICK LINKS
WELCOME TO THE 151ST OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Follow all the latest from Royal Liverpool as the players begin their journey to attempt to win The Claret Jug.
The countdown is on this morning at Hoylake to the first tee time of the Open
At 6.35am local hero Matthew Jordan tees off with the first tee shot of the 151st Open Championship. The 27-year-old is a member of 20 years at Royal Liverpool and earned the honours by qualifying nearby for the oldest tournament in golf dating back to 1860.
The scene is set at Royal Liverpool for a thrilling first day's play as fans start to filter on to the links
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The final preparations have been completed by the greenkeepers and we now await the start of the Open which is only minutes away
Local favourite Jordan scrambles par at the first after nervous start
Jordan has been a member at the Wirral links since he was seven years old. He made his Open debut at St Andrews 12 months ago when he missed the cut and he showed some nerves on the first this morning as he drove left and then found the sand but he got up and down for a par which will have settled him down
Opening drive proves challenging for pros as breeze picks up
Just one of the first nine drives found the fairway this morning as the opening par four proves a tricky start. Russell Henley began with a double bogey after having to play out backwards from the sand
Alex Maguire shows pros how to tackle the first with confident start
Hitting the first fairway has proved tricky this morning. But Irish amateur Alex Maguire had no such problems as he split the fairway and then fired in an approach to the middle of the green to set up a birdie putt to the pin, which was tucked slightly front left
Matthew Jordan gave home fans an early cheer with a birdie
After scrambling a par at the first, Jordan picked up a birdie at the second at the par 4 which is 454 yards.
Pablo Larrazabal fires in stunning approach to the first
The opening par four of 458 yards has not proved easy this morning with its narrow fairway, dangerous bunkers and a pin tight to the front right, but Spanish veteran Larrazabal showed how to tackle it as he fired in a stunning low approach for a tap in birdie
Patrick Reed gets his Open campaign underway
Patrick Reed was the first former Major champion out today alongside Connor Syme and amateur Jose Luis Ballester Barrio. The Liv golfer is making his ninth Open appearance. He made his debut in the competition at Hoylake in 2014 when he missed the cut and will be keen to improve on his tied 47th finish last year.
Local boy Jordan thrills fans with a birdie at the fifth after just missing eagle putt
Jordan, who is a member at Royal Liverpool, enjoyed a break at the fifth when his fairway wood for his second shot narrowly avoided a bunker and set up a 10 foot eagle putt. It slid by the hole but left him a tap in birdie to move to two-under
Bunkers making pros think twice on opening hole
There are 81 bunkers at Hoylake , with an average of 4.5 per hole, so even though it is not that breezy today, we have seen some tentative play from players, especially on the first.
Amateur Champion Christo Lamprecht begins his Open campaign
South African Christo Lamprecht is underway at the Open after winning the Amateur Championship at nearby Hillside. The gangly youngster,22, has an unorthodox swing but is very powerful and confident. An opening par on the first will only encourage the youngster who had been known to clock a ball speed of over 200mph
Bad start for Adrian Meronk whose fine season may take a hit at this rate
Polish pro Adrian Meronk has been one of the breakthrough stars on the DP World Tour in the last year and many want him to make Europe's Ryder Cup team. But he will have to get to grips with Hoylake quickly after bogeying both the first and the third. Ouch!
Decent reception for former Open champion Henrik Stenson on first tee
Henrik Stenson, who lifted the Claret Jug in 2016, was warmly applauded on the first tee despite effectively giving up the Ryder Cup captaincy by joining LIV after last year's Open. Stenson took a three-wood which a few players were doing in a bid to avoid bringing the traps into play
Tricky Pin position at par 3 sixth causing major issues
Ryan Fox made a promising start to hit the front at two-under after five holes. But he had problems at the 204-yard par three sixth where the pin is tucked back left, just a few yards from the edge of the green which drops off severely. Fox was one of several early starters to hit the green only to see his ball roll off and into the rough leaving a tough chip. The New Zealander was unable to scramble a par as he dropped a shot like others there, including playing partner and compatriot Lucas Herbert.
Christo Lamprecht already impressing with his powerful play and unique swing
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Amateur champion Christo Lamprecht uses his 6ft 8in frame to help smash the ball after clocking up ball speeds in practise of over 200mph. He has already left the Sky commentators in awe this morning with some incredible drives, including at the par four third which he reduced to a drive and a wedge before holing a birdie putt. This amateur ,22, means business and can make a real name for himself this week alongside the pros
Pablo Larrazabal continues his impressive recent form with an eagle
Pablo Larrazabal,40, is enjoying one of his best seasons on the DP World Tour after winning the KLM Open in May. He played one of the most impressive approaches into the first for a birdie and eagled the fifth after dropping two shots. The Spaniard possesses plenty of artistry and ability to shape the ball and could be an outsider to watch this week.
SIGNING OFF
Well, that's my time up and I will now be handing over to the reliable hands of Matt Cradock. Out early, it's Matt Jordan who makes the early running, with our first featured group of Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jason Day about to tee off on the first. Let's get Open week started!
THANKS JAMES AND WELCOME EVERYONE
Thanks James, great work on the early shift! Good morning everyone, Matt Cradock here to take you through the next three hours of action, and where better to start than with our first featured group of Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jason Day.
They may be the first featured group, but none of the three don't produce their best at the difficult opening tee shot, although many have struggled from the first today. In Spieth's case, he pushes his tee shot right, whilst Fitzpatrick opts to go the other way with a huge hook that lands near a TV tower. Day also goes left, but not as much, with his shot coming to rest in the second cut.
HERBERT JOINS JORDAN AT THE TOP
Lucas Herbert makes back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth to close out his front nine in -2. The birdies puts him in an early share of the lead with Jordan, who is a few holes ahead of the Australian...
Christo Lamprecht Making Early Moves
He's only five holes into his round, but 6ft 8in Amateur Champion, Christo Lamprecht, has already found himself in some rather bizarre spots! Despite this, he has joined the leaders at -2, with the South African showcasing his raw power at Royal Liverpool.
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MAKE THAT THREE-UNDER
Just as I post that sentence, Lamprecht birdies the 205-yard par 3 sixth. The amateur leads The 151st Open Championship!
NOW ON THE TEE
Next up, it's the 9.36am tee time of Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama. This is one of the more eye-catching groups this morning, not just because of the six Majors and 25 PGA Tour wins between the three, but also due to Koepka making a dig at Cantlay at The Masters in April.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Koepka claimed that the group playing directly in front, which happened to feature Cantlay, were "brutally slow". This could make for a fun opening round...
THREE FAVOURITES ON THE TEE
After Cantlay, Koepka and Matsuyama, who all missed the green with their approaches at the first, it is now the 9.47am group of World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, home-hero Tommy Fleetwood, who has been backed by a number of punters this week, and Adam Scott, who has five top-10 finishes at The Open.
Tee shot wise, all three go left, a common theme as most of the field have! With all three looking in a reasonable condition for their second shots in.
CANTLAY HOLE OUT
Despite short-siding himself to the tight right pin on the first, Patrick Cantlay holes out from off the green. Some start from the American, who finished in a tie for eighth at St Andrews last year...
DEFENDING CHAMP STARTS HIS CAMPAIGN
Last year, Cameron Smith produced one of the best rounds in Open Championship history, at St Andrews. Stepping on the tee at Royal Liverpool, he receives a warm reception from the crowd, with Smith playing alongside Xander Schauffele and US Open champion, Wyndham Clark.
The Australian is in great form heading into the tournament and, with his opening tee shot straight down the middle! Schauffele follows him onto the short stuff, with Clark also finding the fairway. Don't quote me on this, but I think it's the first group who have all found the fairway...
SMITH'S GROUP ALL FIND THE GREEN
After all find the fairway at the first, Cameron Smith, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark all the find green at the opener. Could this be the group to watch this morning? After those approaches I don't see why not...
Christo Lamprecht Turns In -3
Superb front nine for Christo Lamprecht, who pars seven, eight and nine to shoot a three-under-par of 32. He still leads by one and is looking very calm and controlled out there at Royal Liverpool.
OPENING BIRDIE FOR SMITH
Cameron Smith is the best putter in the world - there, I said it! At the first, following an aggressive approach, he sticks his 12-foot putt right in the middle for birdie. -1 thru 1
EARLY BIRDIE FOR THE WORLD NO.1
If Scottie Scheffler's putter gets hot then the field could be in trouble! Early doors, he finds the green at the second, with his birdie putt just creeping in the front door. He's -1 thru 2
CONDITIONS STARTING TO FRESHEN - LAMPRECHT STILL ON THE CHARGE
On the television, conditions still look perfect at Royal Liverpool but, according to the broadcast, it is starting to freshen up slightly. As of writing, 15 players are under-par, with Lamprecht birding the 10th hole to move to -4, two ahead of Stewart Cink!
BOGEY FOR LAMPRECHT
Christo Lamprecht makes his first bogey of the day at the par 4 11th. Finding the rough off the tee, he is unable to get up-and-down but, currently, he still leads from a few players at three-under
SCHEFFLER DIALLED IN
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The World No.1 has 18 consecutive top-12 finishes and, after a birdie at the second, he's fired yet another stunner of an approach to the fourth. Faced with just eight-feet, he holes it for birdie to move to -2 and is now just one back of Lamprecht and Herbert, who has just eagled the 15th!
FIRST LOOK AT THE 17TH
The opening group has made its way to the 17th at Royal Liverpool, which has caused a mixed reaction amongst those playing this week. Matthew Jordan, who is -2 thru 16 and hit the opening tee shot of the Championship, safely finds the dance floor and two putts for par. His playing partners Richie Ramsay (+2) and Branden Grace (+3) also par the hole, a rather solid showing to begin with.
NOW ON THE TEE, TIGER...
No, not that one! German amateur, Tiger Christensen, is making his Open debut at Hoylake and, at the first, he makes a solid start to begin his campaign.
WELL PLAYED, MATTHEW JORDAN
Home favourite, Matthew Jordan, cards a two-under round of 69 and leads in the clubhouse. An excellent round from the 27-year-old, who would have no doubt been nervous as he hit the opening tee shot at 6.35am this morning.
DOUBLE BOGEY FOR SPIETH
Having been two-under for his day and just one shot off the lead, Jordan Spieth has made a double-bogey at the par 4 eighth.
FIRST BIRDIE AT 17
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So far, only two groups have played the 17th hole, also known as 'Little Eye', with Russell Henley the first to birdie the par 3 in tournament play. Along with Henley, the other five players parred but, if the wind gets up, it will certainly play tougher
POINT PROVEN
Well, just as I mention the first birdie at the 17th, former leader Lucas Herbert makes a triple bogey! He pulls his tee shot, with his chip flying over the green and into one of the many bunkers. From there, he fails to get out of the bunker, with his fourth being splashed out to 20-feet. Following a poor first putt, he holes the three-footer for triple. First signs of what is to come!
LAMPRECHT CHIPS IN TO MOVE TO -4
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This is special from the South African amateur! The 14th is playing as the hardest hole today but, after being forced to lay-up following a poor drive, Lamprecht pitches in from 40-yards for birdie. He moves to four-under, two shots ahead of six players and, with the par 5 14th coming up, you would expect him to create another birdie opportunity.
THOMAS PIETERS MAKING A CHARGE
The Belgian is one of the only few players to not record a bogey yet this morning, with Pieters birdieing the 14th and then eagling the 15th to move into a share of the lead with Lamprecht at four-under.
SMITH STRUGGLING?
They say you should never start your round with a birdie... Well, after a superb one at the opening hole, the ever-reliable Cameron Smith seems to be struggling now as he bogeys the third and sixth to go from one-under to one-over.
BIRDIE FOR LAMPRECHT
Back-to-back birdies for Lamprecht at the 14th and 15th, who now moves to five-under and one shot clear of Pieters. Lamprecht has carved his drive right on the par 4 16th though, with it unclear on how his lie is looking
PLAYERS OVER-PAR
Although most are taking advantage of the benign conditions, some are struggling slightly, with Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau and Padraig Harrington currently over-par for the day. There's plenty of golf left to play though today and tomorrow...
LAMPRECHT NOW LEADS BY THREE
I am sorry Thomas Pieters... Having said that he is one of the only players to be bogey-free today, the Belgian has made a double bogey at the 16th to fall back into the logjam at two-under. Lamprecht now leads The Open by three strokes
TIME TO LOG OFF
Well, that's my three hours done and, as I sign off, Cameron Smith and Jordan Spieth both hole birdie putts to get to level-par and one-under, respectively. I will be back at three o'clock for the afternoon wave, which will see Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm tee off as they bid for a Claret Jug. I now leave you in the hands of Roderick Easdale, who will guide you through the next three hours.
Hot-Shot Hamish memories
Hot-Shot Hamish was a character in a comic strip in, I think, Tiger and Scorcher when I was a wee lad. He was 6ft 10in tall and whenever he played he was shown in a shirt that was too short for him. I never got this – yes, he was tall, but they knew this, so why don’t his club get a shirt long enough to fit him? I am getting slight Hot-Shot Hamish vibes when watching 6ft 8in Christo Lamprecht, but in relation to the length of his trouser leg.
When he won the Amateur Championship at Hillside he wore shorts, but such items are not allowed to be worn by players at The Open. If finding a comfy pair of trews long enough is a problem maybe try a pair of plus fours?
Anyway Lamprecht remains above everyone else both literally and figuratively: he leads The Open by a shots walking down to the 17th and is nearing a record. No amateur has played a round in the 60s in The Open at Royal Liverpool. Three have carded a 70 - Bobby Jones (1930), Edoardo Molinari (2006) and Ashley Chesters (2014).
Record even more firmly in sight for Lamprecht
His birdie putt on 17 ends up agonisingly close. Par made. On to 18.
Is this being played in Liverpool or in Hoylake or is it the same thing?
The name of the golf club is Royal Liverpool, but the course is situated in Hoylake, a small seaside town with a population of between five and six thousand, about a dozen miles from Liverpool.
Or indeed even at Holylake?
The engraver who put in the 1947 entry for Fred Daly mistakenly wrote the venue as “Holylake.” In those days, the winner had to get their name engraved on the claret jug. Now the R&A gets it done on site. Journalists often get paid by the word, but I doubt engravers get paid by the letter. But if they do, I imagine Jazz Janewattananond and Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira would be a popular victors; KH Lee and Tom Kim less so.
Lamprecht has an eagle putt on 18
Ok, it's a long one, his ball having run to the back of green. But minus 4 for the round should only get better, and that amateur Open record at Royal Liverpool should fall. Wow.
New clubhouse leader
It is no longer Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan, but Christo Lamprecht. That 48ft eagle put did not go in, but Lamprecht's birdie putt did. A round of 66 for the Amateur Champion, despite bogeys on 11 and 16, and the record smashed.
Can Cam?
Can Cam Smith become the first man in 15 years to retain the trophy, after Padraig Harrington captured back-to-back Opens in 2007 and 2008?
The various tipsters across umpteen different outlets did not seem to know quite what to make of Cam Smith’s chances going onto this Open. He was the defending champion and he had stated in the run up that “I think I’m actually a better golfer now than what I was last year.” Those facts should have made him among the strongest favourites, surely? But in many of the previews he wasn’t mentioned until several others had been.
Is it that many are still unsure how to value a LIV Golf performance? Yes, Smith has won last time out at LIV Golf St Albans, I mean LIV Golf London, and is second, to Talor Gooch, in the LIV standings for the season. But how significant is that in limited-field events when many of those competing are well beyond their peak as golfers? (LIV is, in part, as halfway house to the Seniors Tour, three-round tournaments for players a few years off their 50th birthday, the team format a way to make relevant performances of those always unlikely to be threatening the top of the individual leaderboard.)
Or is that the scribes – and bettors also – paid more attention to his Open record? This is his seventh Open and, apart from last year, his only other top-20 Open finish was a T20 in 2019.
He has just pulled one into the long stuff off the tee on 11 and his 9-iron from there ended up in a run-off area of the green. He is at level par and in T21.
Stewart Cink is in the house
A bogey-free round of 68 makes takes him into second place of those who have finished their opening round, and T2 overall at present. Marcus Siem, who has played seven holes, is also on -3.
Clubhouse leader Lamprecht's 66, has only been bettered by Tom Lewis' 65 in 2011 as the lowest opening round by an amateur in The Open by the way.
All that jazz
Not much chance of the engraver having to battle with Jazz Janewattananond - see 12.22pm - as the Thai golfer has posted an opening round 81.
The R&A is right, this is not the British Open y’all...
The R&A are quite correct to say this not the British Open, and it has got pretty keen to stop people saying it is. Since the mid 2010s, contracts with broadcasters state that the event must be described on air as either ‘The Open’ or ‘The Open Championship’. The USGA, which used to call the event The British Open, in their exemption criteria for the US Open have, since 2016, called it “The Open conducted by the R&A.”
The championship has never been called the British Open by its organisers at any stage of its long history. Rather, this is a description of the event coined overseas to make it clear it is not their own national golf open they are talking about. This became an issue when the US Open came into being, 35 years after The Open.
The Open has never sought to describe itself in geographical teams, and if it did, ‘British’ would not actually fit. Britain is the island comprising England, Scotland and Wales. No club in Wales has hosted The Open – although qualifying events have been run in the Principality – but a club in Northern Ireland does. So if you wanted to describe where the Open is played, logically it would have to be the United Kingdom Open - which absolutely no-one calls it.
...But the R&A are wrong to say that this has always been called The Open
The R&A claim that, since its start on 1860, The Open has always been called either this or The Open Championship. It hasn’t. For starters that 1860 event was not an open at all, let alone The Open. It was an invitational. When the organisers decided to repeat the event the following year, it was decided to make entry “open to all the world”. Strange though it may sound to modern ears, used to branding, logos, trademarks and the like, the event didn’t have a set name for most of its history. The winner was not declared as the ‘winner of the such-and-such competition’ but as “The Champion Golfer of the Year”. Contemporary reports in the early years called the competition to find this Champion Golfer by various names including the Championship and the Champion Belt.
When, 60 years after that inaugural event, the R&A took sole charge of the competition, the minutes of the R&A committee charged with doing so refer to the event as variously “Competition for the Championship Challenge Trophy,” “the Championship” and “the Open Championship.” But in the official programme for the 1921 event, it was called The Open Championship. But that name was interchangeable with the Open Golf Championship. For example, the programme for Hoylake in 1956 is for The Open Championship, but eleven years later when it returns here, it is for the Open Golf Championship. The R&A has now fixed the name of the event as The Open Championship, which can be shortened to The Open.
How the 17th kyboshed Lucas Herbert earlier
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Fleetwood on his own in second spot
Birdies on 14 and 15 have taken him to 4 under. His only dropped shot has been on the 6th.
Jordan Spieth is in the clubhouse
He is currently tied 5th on 2 under.
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Another birdie for Fleetwood
A third consecutive birdie takes the Englishman to the 17th tee as the joint leader.
Daly Tees Off
Most of the, I was about to say high handicappers but I mean those with world rankings with lots of digits in them, will be finishing their rounds last today, when headlines have been set, the day's storylines decided etc. But there is no one with a worse world ranking than John Daly. The lowest ranking possible currently in the OWGR is 3,808th and Daly has this – so, too, does Darren Clarke, who is also in The Open field. But Daly remains box office, despite missing the cut in his last 10 Opens, so he gets a more prominent spot in the tee times than many currently better golfers.
Incidentally, here are the day's final five groups and their world rankings:
Nacho Elvira (361), Marc Warren (382), Alejandro Ca?izares (579)
Guido Migliozzi (224), Oliver Wilson (266), Connor McKinney (1,140)
Kalle Samooja (256), Shubhankar Sharma (276), Gunner Wiebe (479)
Jorge Campillo (131), Brandon Robinson Thompson (812), Michael Stewart (868)
Hurly Long (249), Seungsu Han (470), Marco Penge (539)
Who is playing this year and who isn’t of Past Open Champions
Past Open champions who are yet to turn 61 by the final day of the tournament automatically qualify for The Open. So 57-year-old Daly has a few more Open appearances to come if he so wishes. Twenty-one former Open champions players have qualified in this way to play in This Open (although some, such as Rory McIlroy* have qualified in several other ways as well). Of these, half a dozen are not playing this week: Ben Curtis, David Duval, Todd Hamilton, Paul Lawrie, Justin Leonard and Tiger Woods.
Those who are here are John Daly, Ernie Els, Pádraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson.
*The many other ways that Rory has qualified
Open Champions since 2012
Top 10 in last year’s Open
Top 30 in 2022 FedExCup Points List
Top 30 in DP World Tour rankings for 2022
Top 50 in World Golf Rankings as at Week 21 this year
To provide balance
Having highlighted some of the high-ranked competitors at this Open, there are some lowly ranked golfers who are not here. Will Zalatoris, ranked 14th, qualified through his ranking but was not able to take his place through injury. Also not here are Cam Davis (55), Adam Hadwin (57), Guillermo Mito Pereira (59), Matt Kuchar (60), Keith Mitchell (62), Alex Smalley (64) and Adam Svensson (65).
LIV leader finishes round
Talor Gooch is leading the LIV standings this season. He has bogeyed the 18th hole to end three over for his round and is currently tied in 90th. Defending Open champion Cam Smith is second in the LIV standings and he is currently T45th and on the 18th.
Joint clubhouse leaders now
Tommy Fleetwood has a birdie putt on the par-5 18th from about 58ft which ends 5ft short. Par putt knocked in, and he joins Christo Lamprecht in the clubhouse on 5 under.
GM baton is being passed on
So, with the marquee group of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose just about to take to the course, my shift ends. It’s back to Matt.
Good Afternon
Thanks Rodders! Matt here, and I am back to take you through the next three hours of action. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose are the marquee group this afternoon, with the European duo just starting their first rounds.
Along with the Major trio, there's Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and many, many more beginning their first rounds so, strap-in, and enjoy the ride of The 151st Open Championship!
DEFENDING CHAMPION OPENS WITH A 72
Cameron Smith pars the final hole for a one-over-par round of 72. He had opened up his day with a birdie, but a round littered with birdies and bogeys means he sits six shots back of leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Christo Lamprecht
SHOT OF THE DAY?
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We've already seen plenty of classy shots at Royal Liverpool on Thursday, but this chip from Sepp Straka has got to be shot of the day?
RORY GETS UNDERWAY
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WAYWARD OPENERS
Admittedly, the opening two holes have been tough driving holes today, but both McIlroy and Rahm have hit some wayward tee shots to the right to start their rounds...
LOWRY, FOWLER AND MACINTYRE ALL OVER-PAR
One of the big groups looked to have struggled on Thursday. Shane Lowry, who won the Claret Jug in 2019, opens with a one-over 72, whilst Rickie Fowler puts two balls out of bounds on the last for a triple bogey eight! He finishes at one-over for the day and, in Robert MacIntyre's case, last week's runner-up cards a three-over round of 74...
EARLY BIRDIE FOR MCILROY
Despite a wayward tee shot at the second, Rory McIlroy gets a good lie and sticks his wedge shot close. His birdie putt tries to move, but catches enough of the hole to drop as he moves to one-under for the day. His playing partners include Jon Rahm, who is level-par for the day, and Justin Rose, who has opened with two bogeys.
The Best Amateur Performances At The Open
Following Christo Lamprecht's superb opening round at Royal Liverpool, we at Golf Monthly have taken a look at some of the greatest amateur performances in The Open over the years. Click here to take a look...
HATTON MOVES UNDER-PAR
Tyrrell Hatton is a player who has been backed by a fair few individuals this week and, at the par 4 second, he shows why, with a lovely putt dropping in for a first birdie of the day.
Here's How Rory Got Under-Par
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Morikawa Finds OB With An Iron
Collin Morikawa will want that one back! Regarded as one of the best irons players, if not, the best iron player on the planet, the American puts his second at the par 4 third straight out of bounds! Rarely do we see that from Morikawa, who cards a double bogey...
RORY BOGEYS FOUR
The four-time Major winner finds the greenside bunker with his approach and, after splashing out, McIlroy can't get the par putt to drop. That moves him back to level-par, whilst Rahm is also level and Rose is at two-over.
THINGS ARE TOUGH OUT THERE AT ROYAL LIVERPOOL
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LAST GROUP OFF
Marco Penge's tee shot at the opening hole means that all 52 groups are off at The Open. The first group teed off at 6.35am, so there has been nearly 10 hours of action on the first tee!
Excellent Round, Antoine
Antoine Rozner has three wins on the DP World Tour, but has made just one appearance in an Open Championship. The Frenchman, however, produces a stunning opening round at Royal Liverpool, with birdies at the 16th and 18th giving him a four-under 67 to sit in solo third.
Mickelson Under-Par
I'm not overly convinced about the long sleeve T-shirt look that Phil Mickelson has going on today, but who am I to talk about style? Anyway, enough about the look, with Lefty one-under for his day through the opening four holes.
HATTON AND HOMA TO TWO-UNDER
Both Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa have started well in Liverpool. Currently, both are two-under for the day through five holes, with Morikawa, their other playing partner, one-over for his round
UNDER THE RADAR
There are a few players out on the course right now who are under-par, but not being shown on the coverage. Adrain Otaegui is currently three-under through 15, Emiliano Grillo is two-under through 13 and Brian Harman is two-under through 11.
JUSTIN THOMAS CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE
The American hasn't enjoyed his 2023, so far, and, after a bogey - double bogey run at the sixth and seventh, Thomas sits at three-over for the round and well down the leaderboard. Alongside Thomas is Tony Finau and Viktor Hovland, who are both level-par for the day.
FLEETWOOD'S THOUGHTS
Tommy Fleetwood enjoyed a fantastic opening day at Royal Liverpool, with the Englishman carding a five-under 66 to the delight of the galleries. “It was very cool, and I think you can't ask for more from the fans and the support. They were so great to me today," stated Fleetwood following his round, as the 32-year-old goes in search of a maiden Major title.
WOW... MCILROY MISSES FROM TWO-FEET
Rory, Rory, Rory! Looking to tap-in for par, Rory McIlroy misses a putt from two-feet, with his golf ball going in one side of the hole and coming out the other. He's now one-over for the day following that mistake.
FEATURED GROUP TURN IN OVER-PAR
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose all make the turn over-par, with both McIlroy and Rahm one-over, whilst Rose is still three-over. The trio will need a big back nine to get back into contention...
CONDITIONS GETTING TOUGHER?
It appears that scoring in the afternoon wave has been slightly more difficult than the morning. A number of big names are over-par at the moment, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland
RAHM TO LEVEL
Just as I say Rahm is over-par, he holes a lovely right-to-left birdie putt to get back to level. Simply exquisite from the World No.3
OTAEGUI FINISHES AT FOUR-UNDER
Adrian Otaegui joins Antoine Rozner with a four-under-par round of 67. Otaegui produced a stunning back nine of four birdies in seven holes to race up the leaderboard, with the Spaniard currently in a share of third.
AN HOUR TO FORGET FOR NIEMANN
Joaquin Niemann had been two-under through three holes during his opening round. However, it's been an hour to forget for the Chilean, who has just gone bogey-bogey-triple bogey-bogey-bogey. The run has seen him go from -2 to +5!
PASSING ON TO ANDY
Well, another three hours have gone by and it's time to bid you farewell. It's been an interesting session of play at Royal Liverpool, with Andy Wright set to take you through to the finish.
Homa!
Thanks, Matt. Let's bring this first day home. Max Homa has just stuck it close at 11 and will have 5ft to get to three-under.
Elsewhere, Jon Rahm has just had to play out backwards from a fairway bunker. Links golf, eh, you can't beat it.
Bogeys for Rahm, Hatton, Rory
Not a great five minutes for a few European stalwarts. After escaping the bunker, Rahm couldn't save par and drops to +1. It's a similar story for McIlroy, who burns the edge from 10ft to slip to +2. They won't want to lose any more ground to the leaders.
Behind, Hatton makes his second bogey in a row to cancel out his two earlier birdies. He'll be very disappointed.
Scottish debutant performing well
A word for Michael Stewart. The Scotsman is playing his first Open and has recovered brilliantly from two bogeys to start. Birdies at the fourth and fifth have him sitting level through eight holes and in a tie for 29th.
Homa to -3
Homa slotted his putt on the 11th to get to -3 and within two of the lead. Is the American finally ready to step up and challenge for a Major?
Hovland hanging tough
Back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12 got the Norwegian to level par and he holes a good putt for par on 14 remain on that mark.
Grillo ties the lead
The Argentine drops a monster putt on 18 to join Fleetwood and Lamprecht on -5.
two in a row for rory
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That's more like it. McIlroy birdies 14 and 15 to get back to level.
harman in the house
The left-hander had a chance in Scotland last week and has continued his good form today. He pars 18 for a four-under 67.
flying scotsman
Michael Stewart birdies the 9th and 11th to get to -2. On his first Open and Major appearance, the Scotsman is within three of the lead.
Homa misses great birdie chance
The American passes up a great chance to join the group at -4, missing from 6ft for birdie at 15.
McIlroy and Rahm safely through 17
It's pars on 17 for McIlroy and Rahm, who head to the 18th tee at level and +2. They could both do with making a closing birdie.
Horrid day for JT
Thursday at The Open has been a joyless experience for Justin Thomas. The American is +7 and has just hit his fourth into the par-5 18th into a greenside bunker.
It comes after he described his performance at the US Open as "embarrassing". He'll be back, of course, but these are worrying times for the two-time PGA champion, relatively speaking.
The contrived Open?
"Forged by Nature" is the tagline chosen for this Open by the R&A, which is ironic given it feels more contrived than any other that has come before it. The 17th is a new creation and has already split opinion while the bunkers already appear far too severe.
I've played Hoylake twice and found plenty traps in my 36 holes and they were penal but fair. Seeing the world's best up against the lip unable to do anything but go sideways or backwards has put a dampener on the day's play for me.
Thomas signs for 81 after closing quad
Thomas is the latest player to fall foul of Hoylake's tricked-up traps. With his fifth, his attempt to play out finds the second of three guarding the left side of the green. With his next effort he purposefully aims for the third bunker. When all is said and done his triple-bogey putt pulls up one roll short of dropping and he taps in for a nine and an 82.
A terrible day at the office, granted, but that was just silly on 18.
Rahm and Rory find greenside bunker on 18
Next into the Mickey Mouse bunkers on 18 are McIlroy and Rahm. The Spaniard is up first and has to go backwards, before playing his fourth to around 20ft.
McIlroy is an inch from the face and looks flummoxed. In the end, he can't even get it out going sideways. He does brilliantly to escape with his fourth and give himself a chance for par.
Rory saves par, bogey for Rahm
Rahm has crazy eyes as his par putt somehow misses left. The closing bogey means it's a three-over 73 for the Spaniard and leaves him eight off the early pace.
McIlroy, on the other hand, slots his putt for five from 10ft and shows how much it means to him with a fist pump. He didn't have his best stuff but salvaged a level-par 71.
McIlroy: Even par a solid start
McIlroy has been speaking to Sky Sports ornament Tim Barter.
"I felt like I played OK. I missed a couple putts on the front nine and made a couple on the back nine, which was nice," he said
"I thought anything in the 60s this afternoon would have been good. I didn't quite get there but even par is a solid start."
On the bunkers, he added: "These bunkers are just really tough. It just doesn't seem to go into the middle of them, it's always up against the face."
Homa and co. close with pars
It's a stellar opening round for Homa, who two-putts from distance on 18 for a 68. He's just two behind the leaders.
Hatton closes out a solid level-par 71 while it's a 73 for 2021 champion Morikawa.
Bonkers
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If you have to ask...
Miserable finish for Mickelson
Phil Mickelson shows what could very well happen come Sunday evening to an Open contender as he finishes double-triple for a six-over 77. At one-over he was still in it; now, he's not.
Bad shots should be punished but this set-up is toeing a very dangerous line of fairness.
Stewart round in 68
Scotland's Michael Stewart hits two brilliant shots into the 18th and two-putts for a closing birdie and a round of 68. What a way to make your Major debut.
Thanks for joining
As ever, thanks for your company on what was an interesting first round of the 2023 Open.
We'll be back at 6am tomorrow to steer you through round two, but until then, goodbye!
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