Image source, PA Media

• Two-time major champion Justin Thomas leads on four under, two shots clear
• England's Matt Wallace had led before triple bogey on ninth hole
• Bryson DeChambeau two over after three, Rory McIlroy bogeys the first
• Home favourite Robert MacIntyre one under through four
• Jon Rahm and defending champion Brian Harman also under way

There's a creek splitting the third fairway and Tyrrell Hatton's tee shot is heading straight for it.

Splash.

Rory McIlroy hold backs and pulls his ball up short as a result.

Jon Rahm has to take his medicine from a difficult spot in the bunker, playing out sideways before getting down in two more for a bogey six.

Tommy Fleetwood is in for his par and so is Robert MacIntyre, whose birdie attempt lips out.

As Justin Thomas ploughs on ahead, Matt Wallace falls afoul of the ninth hole.

Tee shot fleeced out of bounds, a drop and then short with his approach. He's ended up making triple bogey and dropping back to just one under par.

Image source, Getty Images

A beauty from Justin Thomas onto the 10th green and he'll have 11 feet to make birdie and take the outright lead.

That he does and he's up to four under. Three birdies in a row for the two-time major champ.

A settling par for Rory McIlroy at the second as he knocks it onto the green and then tucks in close with his long-range putt.

His partners Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton are also safely through in four.

"I just knew I was going to do that," says Jon Rahm, as the Spaniard squeaks his third shot to the par-five fourth into a bunker to the right of the green.

He's been pulling his tee shots left early on - an overcorrection?

Robert MacIntyre, meanwhile, is within eight feet and has a chance for a second successive birdie...

Three bruising tee shots and more damage for Bryson DeChambeau's card as his short putt lips out of the hole and stays up.

He's two over through three - and this is the easier half of Royal Troon.

Playing partner Tom Kim is punished for finding the bunker with a bogey but Ludvig Aberg coolly saves par.

Image source, Reuters

Keegan Bradley, the recently-appointed captain of the US Ryder Cup team, is in the latest three-ball heading out onto the links of Royal Troon.

Bradley, currently 19th in the world rankings, was seen as something of a surprise choice to lead the team at Bethpage Black in September 2025, and he has said he would like to try to qualify for the team as a player.

Tiger Woods, who was expected to be named US captain before turning down the role, said: "I think Keegan is going to be a great leader. He's very passionate about the event."

That's much better from defending champion Brian Harman, who sends his second shot to within eight feet on the second hole and the birdie putt drops.

Back to level par.

Catriona Matthew
Captain of Team Europe at the 2019 & 2021 Solheim Cup

Image source, Getty Images

Very disappointing for Rory.

It was a poor chip and the greens are fairly flat but he just pushed it past.

Hmm, that's not ideal for Rory McIlroy as he undercooks his chip and leaves himself 12 feet for par.

Missed - and it's an opening bogey.

Even worse for Max Homa though as he mishits three shots and finds himself carding two over for the first hole.

If you take a glance down the third fairway, you'll see Ludvig Aberg buried in a heap of fescue wide left.

Even further left - and in deeper wilderness - is Bryson DeChambeau while Tom Kim is having to chip out of a fairway bunker.

Not the prettiest trio of tee shots from this group.

Robert MacIntyre gets into red numbers for the first time today by sinking his birdie putt from about 15 feet.

Jon Rahm goes close from a similar distance but has to settle for a third successive par, while Tommy Fleetwood gets up and down from a greenside bunker to stay one over.

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

I’m not saying the weather has taken a turn, but I can no longer see the Isle of Arran on the horizon…

It's been an uncharacteristically ragged start from Bryson DeChambeau as he plonks his approach into the second into a greenside bunker.

After splashing out on to the green, he needs to hole a nervy 12-footer to save putt. Drained - that should settle him down.

Catriona Matthew
Captain of Team Europe at the 2019 & 2021 Solheim Cup

I think [Rory McIlroy's] heart will be pounding. He’s hit the fairway on the first - great start.

He’ll just be looking forward to getting a few pars, settle in and then hopefully try and make a few birdies on the slightly easier front nine.

Rory McIlroy and majors have a chequered history.

But The Open has statistically been his best.

This is his 39th major since he last won in 2014 and his opening tee shot is greeted by a loud roar.

Safely down the fairway, along with playing partners Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa.

This is the clip we all want to see.

The reason Matt Wallace leapt into the lead earlier.

A dropped shot at the first for the defending champion, as Brian Harman leaves his par putt a couple of feet short.

Safe pars, meanwhile, for playing partners Viktor Hovland and Sahith Theegala.