The Open 2016: day one – live!

Latest updates from the opening day at TroonTee times: Colin Montgomerie to lead off actionLee Westwood: ‘I would love to win a major … but I don’t lose sleep over it’Email scott.murray@theguardian.com with your thoughts

9.32am BST

The Masters champion Danny Willett announces his attacking intentions from the get-go. Is he the first player to unsheathe the driver on 1? He might be, you know. He nearly drives the green. What a statement! His partners Jason Day and Rickie Fowler settle for irons. Three birdies in a row from Thorbjorn Olesen, who announced himself with a top-ten finish at the 2012 Open at Lytham. Shots picked up at 5, 6 and 7, and he’s -3. Spieth and Rose meanwhile will have a look at birdie on 2, both hitting gorgeous approaches to ten feet. But once again Spieth doesn’t hit his putt, and he’s still level par on a morning of low scoring. As is Rose, who lips out. Still, it could be worse: Lowry dumps his second into a bunker at the front, and can’t scramble his par. He’s +1, and already the conclusion of the third round at Oakmont seems a long time ago.

9.23am BST

The leader Thomas, going for the 601-yard par-five 6th in two, lashes a long iron into deep rubbish down the right. On Sky, Butch Harmon suggests that Thomas only has one fault: a tendency to lash the cover off the ball with every shot. He needs to play the occasional three-quarter shot, within himself, if he’s not to find trouble more often than is strictly necessary. Back on the opening hole, it’s pars all round. Lowry and Rose are happy enough, though Spieth should be making birdie, missing a tiddler and passing up the chance of a fast start. Meanwhile it’s back-to-back birdies for Kevin Chappell at 6 and 7, and he’s -3.

9.13am BST

Reed follows up his eagle with a 20-foot birdie effort fairly whacked into the back of the cup at 5. He’s -3, as his playing partner Byeong Hun An, who is matching him stroke for stroke. The Korean has just teased in a 30-foot left-to-right curler. Also at -3: Sweden’s David Lingmerth after birdies at 1, 4 and 5. Lingmerth equalled Tony Jacklin’s 1970 Open record by going out in 29 last year at St Andrews. It would appear he’s in the mood again.

9.06am BST

Justin Thomas: nobody’s perfect. He clips a delicious tee shot at 5 pin high, leaving himself a 15-footer for a fifth birdie on the bounce. But he doesn’t hit it, the ball dying off to the left before the cup. He’ll have to make do with his first par of the day. The early leader stays at -4. An eagle for Byeong Hun An on 4, a hole that’s playing super-easy today. He’s -2. And back on 1, here comes a superstar group: Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry. Three easy irons. Rose’s squeaks off into the semi-rough down the right, but they’re all fine.

8.59am BST

Birdie at 9 for Marcus Fraser of Australia, too. That follows the one he picked up at the Postage Stamp, and an earlier effort at 4. He’s out in 33 like his playing partner Lee. Up on 11, Donald can only hack out from the rough on the right, and he’s always chasing par. Bogey. Leishman makes a steady par - you’ll take those all day on the Railway hole - but Monty hits a hot putt from just off the front, and he can’t make the long one he leaves himself coming back. He’s back to -2; Donald to -1.

8.56am BST

Justin Thomas is making his Open debut, and the 23-year-old American is the proverbial duck to water! If he’d given his 30-foot putt on 4 one more joule of energy, he’d have made eagle. As it is, that’s just a fourth birdie in four holes. Four birdies from four holes! He’s the leader of the Open, at -4 a shot ahead of the field. His playing partner Kiradech Aphibarnrat dropped a shot at the 1st, but has just stroked home an eagle putt to move to -1. Lee meanwhile has parred 8 and 9, making it to the turn in 33.

8.50am BST

Jim Furyk shot a 66 on the final day at Oakmont, and he’s taken that major form across the water. He’s slightly lucky that his wood into the par-five 4th doesn’t topple into a bunker at the front, but his ball tricks its way onto the edge of the green, and he lags his long eagle putt to a couple of feet. Birdie, and he’s -3. Birdes at 4 and 5 for Alex Noren; he’s -2. And pars all round for Monty, Luke and Marc Leishman at the difficult 10th, but Donald has hoicked his tee shot at the hellish 11th into thick stuff down the right. Birdie for the 2001 hero David Duval on 5, by the way; he’s under par for the tournament.

-3: Montgomerie (10), S Lee (8), Gregory -a- (6), Furyk (4), Thomas (3)
-2: Donald (10), Fraser (8), Noren (5), Reed (3)

8.43am BST

Here’s the always entertaining Patrick Reed, from the centre of 3. He’s started with a couple of pars, but he’s taken a lob wedge and sent his shot straight at the flag. Two bounces, and it does a Calcavecchia, slam-dunking into the cup! The first eagle of this year’s Open, and he’s -2! Meanwhile the Paul Dunne de nos jours, Scott Gregory, joins wizened old pros Monty, Lee and Thomas, on top of the leaderboard! A birdie at 6, and he’s -3 too.

8.38am BST

Monty effectively out on his own? Scrub that! Justin Thomas has made it three birdies in a row at 3! That’s some start by a young player who is sure to make an impression on a major sometime soon. This could be his breakthrough tournament. Meanwhile Sanghee Lee got one hell of a break at 7; a good lie in an otherwise tight spot up the bank. He still had to get up and down, mind, and pitches rather brilliantly to ten feet, before completing a stunning scramble by stroking in his par putt! That’s an astonishing break, but hats off for taking advantage of it. Superb stuff.

-3: Montgomerie (9), S Lee (7), Thomas (3)
-2: Donald (9), Palmer (6), Gregory -a- (5), Furyk (3)

8.32am BST

Monty leads the Open! He creams his approach at 9 to six feet, and that’s five birdies in seven holes! He reaches the turn in 33, having double-bogeyed the opening hole! What a performance this is from the Troon club member. He’s -3 alongside Lee, though the leader, in awful trouble on 7, won’t be there for long. Monty is effectively out on his own. This is some performance from a player who, that second place in 2005 apart, hasn’t got the great Open record he should have. Leishman meanwhile can’t get up and down from the bank, and that’s a double bogey that takes him back to level par.

8.28am BST

Trouble ahoy! Troon may be there for the taking this morning, but the old links is still going to punish wayward shots. Branden Grace has been one of the hot tips coming into the tournament. But he’s hoicked his second at the opening hole into one of the little bunkers guarding the front of the green. He’s found the one front right. That’ll be a test. Leishman meanwhile is in trouble at 9. He sends his second under a bush to the right of the green. He manages to punch it out, but only straight across the green and down the bank on the other side. And the leader Lee, from the centre of the par-four 7th, pushes an appalling second right of the green. His ball springs off a path and slam-dunks into a high and very grassy knoll to the back-right. He’ll do well to find that, and even if he does, he’ll have one hell of a chip back, because on top of everything else he’s shortsided.

8.21am BST

The leader Lee is about 18 inches short of racking in a 40-footer for another birdie on 6. He stays at -3. Darren Clarke missed another short one on 2 to drop to +1, but he’s picked it straight back up at 3; that should steady the old boy, who was looking a bit miserable after that scrappy start. Justin Thomas meanwhile opens with a pair of birdies to join the group at -2. And the amateur Scott Gregory should have grabbed a share of the lead, but he’s pulled a short birdie putt at 5, so remains at -2.

8.15am BST

The first shot at the Postage Stamp of this Open is hit by Monty. And it’s a beauty, bumped off the banking to the left, his ball rolling to six feet. Donald finds the putting surface, just about, though he’ll be left with a long putt up the narrow green. Leishman meanwhile sends his tee shot right, and it’s gathered up by the bunker. He plays a gorgeous escape, though. It looks as though he’s flown his ball straight across the green and into the sand on the other side, but he’s used the bank in front to slow his ball and send it rolling back towards the pin. He’ll tap in for a fine par save. But in the meantime, Donald rakes in a monster from the front for his birdie, while Monty strokes in for his. They’re all -2! The Postage Stamp already delivers! That was marvellous entertainment. Another birdie meanwhile for the amateur Scott Gregory, incidentally, this time at 4.

-3: S Lee (6)
-2: Montgomerie (8), Leishman (8), Donald (8), Gregory -a- (4), Furyk (2)

8.08am BST

Gentleman Jim Furyk’s putter looks hot today. He rolls in another beauty from distance, this time at 2, and that’s a birdie-birdie start! He’s -2. Three lovely 25-foot putts on the par-four 7th, Donald, Leishman and then Monty. But none of them drop, all three scraping the side of the hole. Pars. We’re about to get our first look at the Postage Stamp!

8.02am BST

A fast start for 2003 US Open champ Jim Furyk, who rolls in a long one on the opening hole for his birdie. His playing partner, the 2011 Open winner Darren Clarke, finds himself in an instant funk, missing a tiddler for his birdie after playing the hole perfectly. On 5, the leader Sanghee Lee strokes a fine tee shot to 15 feet, but doesn’t hit the birdie putt. He stays at -3. And the first double bogey of the week is made by Danny Lee at 2, dropping like a stone to +1. There are currently more players under par than level or worse. The course’s defences are down until that wind picks up later. Quite a few of the tournament favourites are coming out soon - Grace, Oosthuizen, Spieth, Rose, Lowry, Willett, Fowler, Day, McIlroy, Matsuyama, Bubba, all within the next 90 minutes or so - and they’ll be smacking their lips in anticipation.

7.54am BST

How Monty must be ruing that opening meltdown, the double bogey from the bunker at 1. Because otherwise, he’s playing very, very well. From the centre of the 6th, he sends his wedge screeching to a halt a couple of inches from the cup. It nearly drops for a spectacular eagle, but spins back to a couple of feet. He’ll knock that in to move to -1, a brilliant response to a dreadful start. Perhaps, golf being the mental game it is, the early disaster eased his nerves and loosened him up. Anyway, marvellous stuff, Monty. Keep on keepin’ on. Leishman nearly drains a 25-footer but has to make do with par. He stays at -2; hey, he’d have taken that when he was watching his drive whistle towards the gorse. And a fine up and down from a bank on the right by Donald, and that’s a birdie. He’s into red figures like both of his playing partners.

7.49am BST

Marc Leishman has started fast, but he’s just lashed his drive at the par-five 6th into appalling filth down the right. Expect a few lost balls this week; if the spotters don’t see them fly in, they’ll take some finding in the thick, tangled rough. This one’s sourced easily enough, mind, as he’s got a lucky break on a flat patch. He lashes his ball back onto the fairway, up towards the green. Had he kept straight off the tee, he’d have had a chance to scamper on in two. Meanwhile back on 4, Lee birdies the first par five, rolling in a gentle right-to-left slider from 12 feet, to move into the lead at -3. He swans off the green wearing a beatific smile. He’s leading the Open!

7.40am BST

Another spot of trouble for Donald, who hoicks his tee shot at the par-three 5th into thick nonsense to the front right of the green. He whips his ball out to six feet, a lovely effort from where he was. But he can’t make the par saver, and he’s back to level par for the tournament. He’ll be unhappier than Monty, but only marginally so, because the big man stroked a wonderful tee shot to five feet, then prodded a very tame putt right of the cup. It was never going in. He stomps off the green he knows so well with a face on. He stays at level par. And in other veteran news, Sandy Lyle is now propping up the leaderboard having followed up his bogey at the opening hole with another at 2. Oh Sandy!

7.32am BST

“There’s nobody better around the greens than Luke Donald. He’s got an incredible touch.” Ian Poulter in the Sky studio there. And right on cue, from the back of the par-five 4th, Donald fluffs his attempted chip up onto the green. It rolls back down towards his feet. Welcome to the world of punditry, Ian. Donald has to settle for par on a hole that’s offering easy birdie pickings. But it’s another birdie for Monty, who was in a little trouble off the tee but made it to the centre of the green in regulation and rolled in a straight 20-footer. He’s back to level par after that horror start! And Leishman birdies the hole too, to join Lee in the lead at -2. We’re less than an hour into play, and already there are seven players in red figures.

-2: Leishman (4), S Lee (3)
-1: Donald (4), Fraser (3), Palmer (2), Gregory -a- (1), D Lee (1)

7.24am BST

Sanghee Lee, making his debut at the Open having qualified after being one putt from victory at the Mizuno Open in May, is the first player to -2. He’s started with back-to-back birdies. Ryan Palmer rolls a 25-footer into the cup at 1. Marc Leishman is -1 again too: his eventful start continues with a 30-foot left-to-right breaker from the back of 3. Monty grabs a shot back after sending his second screeching to a halt, eight feet from the flag, and nailing the putt. And back on 1, it’s a perfect start for young Gregory, who birdies as Duval pars and Lyle drops a shot. There were three amateurs in the top 30 last year; could another fairytale be on the cards? A long, long, long way to go. But where’s the fun if you can’t dream?

-2: S Lee (2)
-1: Leishman (3), Donald (3), Palmer (2), Gregory -a- (1)

7.17am BST

Scott Gregory, the amateur champion, is out and about. The 21-year-old, wide-eyed in wonder, creams an iron down the 1st. A perfect start. He betrays a few nerves by waving shyly to the gallery as he receives a warm round of applause. He’ll be dreaming of going out in the last pairing on Sunday. Hey, Paul Dunne’s blazed a trail. Whatever happens, he’ll remember this week: he’s playing the first two days with a pair of genuine legends, the 1985 champion Sandy Lyle, and 2001 winner David Duval. All three are on the fairway. God speed, folks.

7.07am BST

This is a day for low scoring. Certainly in the morning. The conditions are magnificent. Someone’s going to post something low, surely. Donald sends his second at 2 pin high, and on the slow green fair rattles an aggressive putt towards the cup from 20 feet. It just shaves the left of the hole. He’ll stay at -1, though Leishman hands his birdie straight back. Monty pars. Meanwhile behind them, Sanghee Lee birdies the opening hole to reach the top of the very, very, very early leaderboard. The birdies are going to be flying in this morning, so don’t expect miracles. But let’s get on top of it while we can.

-1: Donald (2), S Lee (1)
E: Leishman (2), Alker (1), Fraser (1)
+2: Montgomerie (2)

7.00am BST

As for the weather, it’s looking pretty good all day in terms of temperature. The wind will pick up a little after lunch, to 12mph or so, so the morning starters have quite an advantage today. The lads out later will be playing into the wind on the back nine, making a tricky section of the course even more of a test. A fast start is essential. The greens are slow by Tour standards, 9.11 on the stimp, though there’s method in the R&A’s madness: the winds are expected to pick up later in the week, and they don’t want balls blowing all over the place on glacial putting surfaces.

6.57am BST

A wonderful chip from Monty, up and over the sand to a couple of feet. But he’s tapping in for a double bogey, a disastrous start. Thing is, for a minute back there, it looked as though things might pan out even worse, as he stood with hands on hips, fuming, contemplating how to get out of the sand at the second attempt. He definitely thought about going for the green again with his third shot, which could have ended horribly. In the end, he took his medicine. But what a sour taste it leaves. Donald and Leishman roll in their birdies, the first of this year’s Open, and already the course has shown that there are shots out there this morning - providing you keep out of the sand. Oh, and the rough. And the gorse.

-1: Donald (1), Leishman (1)
+2: Montgomerie (1)

6.50am BST

And there’s drama on the very first hole. Monty underhits his second shot, slam-dunking his ball into a pot bunker guarding the front of the green. Donald and Leishman may have made it look easy, but it’s most certainly not. He tries to blast his ball up and out, onto the green, but it just rises and flops back into the sand. And it’s plugged this time, in front of a high face. He’ll have to play out sideways, which he does, into the rough to the left of the green. Monty has played this course a million times, but he’s in awful trouble, facing a tricky chip over the bunker he’s just escaped from.

6.46am BST

Monty is playing with last year’s runner-up, Marc Leishman, and Luke Donald, the former world number one. Donald is only here because Jaco van Zyl withdrew. He’s not really been a factor in the majors since failing to make much of an impression on the final day’s play at Merion in the 2013 US Open, thoroughly upstaged by Justin Rose. He’s clipped a delicious second into the 1st, though, leaving himself a ten footer on greens that are playing fairly slow, don’t have dramatic undulations, and will be offering up quite a few birdie putts. Leishman follows him with an even better one to eight feet. Both will have a good look at birdie.

6.39am BST

Here we go, then! One of the great sporting events of the summer is underway! It’s a gorgeous morning at Troon. The sun is flitting across the links, there’s no wind, not a cloud in the sky, it’s perfect. And the great beauty of the Open is that it just kind of starts. No national anthems, no fly-pasts, no ceremonial hoo-hah. Not even much of a crowd at such an early hour. Just a quick welcome from the starter, a swing, a swish and a clack, and we’re off. On the tee, from Scotland - and Troon - Colin Montgomerie! He’ll take the first shot of this Open. “It’s a real honour for me, the family and all the members. I’m the only member of the club playing here this week, so I treat it as a great honour. It’s more than a shot, though. I’m trying to get in the fairway and make birdie. I’ve got to be realistic, I just want to make the cut, so I can walk down the last on Sunday.” He doesn’t get it in the fairway. His iron leaks off a little to the left, in the light rough, but no huge drama. We’re off! It’s on!

9.38am BST

Hello, good morning ... and welcome to the Guardian’s up-with-the-lark coverage of the 145th Open Championship, the ninth to be held at Royal Troon.

Norwich-born Arthur Havers won the first Open to be held at this famous old Ayrshire links, way back in 1923. No mean feat: he held off golf’s first superstar, the defending champion Walter Hagen, by a stroke, holing out from a bunker at the last. Then in 1950, the great Roberto de Vicenzo of Argentina set a new championship record of 281, though it wasn’t enough to see off legendary South African Bobby Locke, who soon after posted 279 and became only the third man behind Hagen and Bobby Jones to win consecutive Opens.

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Published on July 14, 2016 01:32
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