Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy gives a rueful smile as his ball squirts out of the bunker before rolling straight back to his feet.

He gets a better lie for his third shot and can escape but will need to hole from 14 feet just to make bogey.

Will it? Won't it?

Groans from the massed ranks at eight as Rory McIlroy's ball lands on The Postage Stamp's tiny green but slowly trundles off the side and into a bunker.

He clutches his chin as he contemplates inches from a perfect shot.

Image source, Getty Images

Phew. A puff of the cheeks from Bryson DeChambeau as he calmly holes from four-and-a-half feet.

He's out in 42 - and with the brutal back nine awaiting.

Tom Kim closes out his topsy turvy front nine with a narrow birdie miss. He stays at one over, the same as playing partner Ludvig Aberg.

Scotland amateur Calum Scott was out in the second group this morning. That meant a tee-time of 06:46 for the Nairn native and given these boys don't just rock up 10 minutes before like you and I might, that meant an early alarm call.

"I tried to get to bed around 7:30 or 8:00 because I knew it was going to be an early one and I tried to get comfortable and see if I could close my eyes and go like that, but it took me a while," he said after his level-par opening.

"I was probably up until midnight, so I didn't get much sleep. But I'm glad the first round is over so I can kind of relax now."

A real chance for Justin Rose to seize the initiative at 16 as he sizes up seven feet for birdie.

Oh it's trundled by and he flexes his knees with frustration.

He's got a clean card today and that's his ninth straight par.

Brian Harman and Viktor Hovland find a bunker at the par-three eighth and are punished. Bogeys for those two.

Sahith Theegala stops his personal rot with a par.

Image source, Getty Images

• England's Justin Rose one of five leaders on two under - Alex Noren (-2) the clubhouse leader after a round of 69
• Two-time major winner Bryson DeChambeau six over after eight holes
• Rory McIlroy and home favourite Robert McIntyre level par after steady starts
• Tiger Woods (14:37), Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry (14:59) and Scottie Scheffler (15:10) among those to come

The camera cuts to Bryson DeChambeau and he is once again battling undergrowth, tall grass and his erratic stroke-making.

In his defence, he manages to dig out a shot that finds the green, 50 feet away but a pretty impressive result from there.

Can he close out an ugly front nine with par?

Image source, PA Media

England's Richard Mansell will be out shortly... he matched the course-record of 61 in the final round of the Scottish Open to clinch one of the three qualifying spots for this week's event at Royal Troon.

This is Mansell's third appearance at The Open - he made the cut at his previous two.

Chris in Kent: Best sound in golf - skylarks twittering on a sun-drenched links.

I think the sun shines a touch more where you are in the country, Chris...

Excellent par save from Justin Thomas at the 14th as he tries to cling on and stay in the red.

He drain from 17-and-a-half feet and can contemplate the final four holes one back off the lead.

The ball from Jon Rahm's original second shot was hiding just behind the greenside scoreboard, and he chips to within a couple of feet on his way to a par. No harm done.

Tommy Fleetwood failed with his birdie attempt and all three players walk off with par fours.

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

Sahith Theegala has just whipped his hoodie off. Brave boy because it’s chilly out this end of the links now as the wind whips off the Firth of Clyde.

Routine pars for defending champion Brian Harman and Viktor Hovland on seven, but Sahith Theegala's day gets worse.

The American is back at four over now, with five dropped shots in the past four holes.

Anon: The best sound in golf has to be the crack and hiss as you open a cold bottle of beer at the end of the ninth... and maybe the rustle of the accompanying crisps!

Billy in London: My favourite sound in golf is the sound my friend 'Gooders' makes when he thins a 60-degree wedge over the green. Normally it's preceded by a lovely drive down the middle, with just a simple approach into the green left to setup a birdie opportunity. Instead, he attempts the perfect spinning 60-degree wedge shot, inevitably thins it over the green, and lets out a throaty, blood-curdling squawk reminiscent of a seagull on the verge of death. He inevitably double bogeys. No better sound in golf.

I'm sure 'Gooders' would agree, Billy...

Jon Rahm and Robert MacIntyre leak their second shots right of the green. Not nice on the ninth - as early leader Matt Wallace showed earlier when he made a triple bogey.

Rahm has hit a provisional, just in case, as he's gone so far off line.

Tommy Fleetwood shows them how it's done, drilling his approach within 12 feet for a birdie try.

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

It’s been really disappointing. We expected so much from Bryson. We watched him in the practice yesterday. He played it so well, he controlled the ball so well.

He just hasn’t got it today. He’s not on his A-game - he’s on his Z-game. It’s so far off.

He’s going to have to look for some inspiration on the back nine.

Nasty stroke of fortune for Adam Scott at the 16th as his drive trundles into the creek that bisects the fairway.

That drop ultimately costs him a shot and a share of the early lead on day one.

He's back to -1.

Just the one birdie so far for world number two Rory McIlroy. It was an important one though, getting him back to level par.

Image source, BBC Sport

There are boards dotted around Royal Troon with pics and quotes from some of the legends of the game.

Five Live commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball has been taken by this one of five-time champion Tom Watson. Lovely words.