Brian Harman has a 12-footer for birdie on the sixth to try to join Harris English at the leaderboard's summit.

Misses.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Tommy Fleetwood played with Shane Lowry on that Sunday in 2019, so he's no stranger to Portrush palaver.

And what about this for a start. Three birdies in a row for the Englishman.

He looked a bit sullen during the early stages yesterday. He's getting plenty of "come on Tommy!" shouts this morning.

It's all happening in this group, as Tommy Fleetwood is now officially on fire as he makes his third straight birdie to start the day.

Brilliant stuff from the Englishman so far.

Bryson DeChambeau and Bob MacIntyre both find the putting surface from the tee on the driveable par-four fifth.

The group ahead, who were on the green, stopped while those tee shots were being taken. Anything to try to speed play up a bit.

Somehow Justin Thomas doesn't get a birdie on the third as he ball pulls up perched on the precipice of the hole but with the power of a mountain goat clings on and refuses to drop.

Thomas waits around as long as he dares, even tries a magic spell or two, but that ball is not moving. He taps it in for a three.

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

He's not missed a shot. He's hit every shot absolutely perfect.

Back at the second, Harris English has a birdie opportunity to seize the outright lead.

Drained.

He's out in front on his own.

Going to the golf? You’ll need feeding first. But if you’re visiting Portrush your fry won’t look the same as it does in Plymouth or Peterhead.

You’ll get fried soda bread and potato bread - both manna from heaven to help you carb load for your day. And don’t even think of asking for beans. They’re very controversial here.

Council man Jonny McCarron is the project manager for the Open. He’s delighted with how things have gone so far.

“It is wonderful to stand here and watch people streaming out of the train station and not just head to the course,” he says, watching people go into shops and cafes, and no doubt thinking of what he can have for his own breakfast after we let him go. Early-morning interviews are a sport in themselves.

All a welcome boost for the area’s economy.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

A banner in the crowd reads "Rory I flew from Toronto to see you"...doubt the holder expected to see McIlroy play a shot from that stance, mind you.

Oh dear, Rory McIlroy is a tad short on the par-three third and the ball just hangs up right on the edge of the bunker - he'd be better off in it!

He has an awkward one now of standing in the bunker and gripping his wedge halfway down liks a childs toy and then chipping it on. He makes nice contact but leaves a long par saver.

After a lost ball on seven Rasmus Hojgaard responds with a birdie on eight thanks to sticking his approach to 11 feet.

The Dane goes back into the joint lead.

Are we about to see Justin Rose drop his first shot of the 2025 Open?

Not this time! A tremendous chip from the front of the green comes to rest a few inches from the hole and it's a tap-in for par.

Bryson DeChambeau and Bob MacIntyre have long birdie chances but they end up matching Rose's par four.

Among all the Rory McIlroy drama, Tommy Fleetwood has made a fine birdie-birdie start after a four at the second hole - hitting the fairway then slightly long of the green but chipping and putting it in with ease.

Really solid start for the 2019 Open runner-up here.

Let Darren Clarke talk you through what Tyrrell has just tackled.

Like pretty much all the players, Tyrrell Hatton is taking on the green on one of Royal Portrush's finest holes. The downhill par-four fifth is playing 382 yards.

Hatton swipes his tee shot a little too far to the right though and he'll have a chip from the rough. But a good opportunity to move clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Andrew Murray
Former European Tour winner on 5 Live

That's unbelievable. What a five.

The lie wasn't great where he dropped it into for the third shot, to hit it that far was sensational.

That's some par from Rory McIlroy as he strokes home a putt from seven feet for his five, which just about summed up his form so far at Royal Portrush.

Awful off the tee but his recovery play and in particular his short game and putting has been masterful, hacking out of the rough here and then getting up and down from 50 yards was brilliant.

And about the best thing I can say about him is that you just knew he'd make that putt in the end, he's so improved with the flat stick.

If you watch the video below you can spot where McIlroy went wide right of the fairway.

Well then - these three have started like trains!

Birdies for all three on the par-three third hole, a repeat of what they did on the second.

The birdie putts from Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland were both from more than 30 feet - outstanding putting.

Hovland is three under for the day. Aberg and Jordan Spieth are just two under for their round and need to pick things up a bit to be honest (I jest).

The long par-four fourth is among the toughest on the course with out of bounds down the right, fairway bunkers down the left and the narrowest of entrances into the green.

If you've not yet seen Darren Clarke's guide to the hole, I'd humbly suggest it's worth a couple of minutes of your time.

Tyrrell Hatton, after finding rough off the tee and hacking forward, hits a sublime wedge to two feet and escapes with par.

Volunteers help make events like this run like clockwork.

Sandra and Mervyn Best volunteered when The Open was last at Royal Portrush in 2019 and are back again this year.

“The atmosphere, compared to six years ago, has been much better this year,” says Mervyn.

Sandra says that it's "a wonderful experience to be on the course".