Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

I’ve watched four or five groups go through the 8th now and very few players have done themselves a real mischief. Plenty of them are just floating it in from the left and leaving it close.

Feels like a generous pin position…

It's not an Open until Ken Brown has been out and about on the course, giving us his unique insight into how to play it.

You'll be able to hear more from Ken and the BBC TV commentary team if you catch up with the day's play on our daily two-hour highlights show on BBC Two, 20:00 BST.

We've got nine of these to show you throughout the day...

Brian Harman found one of the pot bunkers at the front of the opening hole with his second shot - a mistake you can't afford to be making too often around Royal Troon.

He splashes out to about 20 feet and he'll be left a tester to save his par.

Younghan Song has been chewed up by the 11th.

He's just made a triple bogey and is back to level par for the tournament.

Brutal.

The 11th hole at Royal Troon was once described by Jack Nicklaus as the hardest hole he played in championship golf.

At 498 yards in length, it is expected to be one of the most difficult tests for the players competing in The Open this week to overcome.

Statistically, it has been the toughest hole in the past three stagings of The Open at Troon - 1997, 2004 and 2016.

Eight years ago, only 24 birdies were made across the four rounds of the tournament.

Ask leader Younghan Song about it...

Jon Rahm putts from the fringe of the second green and judges the pace well, but it doesn't quite drop.

Bob MacIntyre follows him with two putts for par from a similar position, but Tommy Fleetwood's par attempt from six feet stays out and he's one over.

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage of day one at The Open is now under way and will be live for the next 10 hours or so.

Click on the link at the top of this page to listen online, alongside our text updates.

Image source, PA Media

Rory McIlroy had three weeks off after his near-miss at the US Open, before returning to action at last week's Scottish Open and finishing in a tie for fourth position.

"I would say maybe like three or four days after [the US Open], I went from being very disappointed and dejected to trying to focus on the positives to then wanting to learn from the negatives and then getting to the point where you become enthusiastic and motivated to go again," said the world number two.

"It's funny how your mindset can go from 'I don't want to see a golf course for a month' to four days later being 'I can't wait to get another shot at it'.

"When that disappointment turns to motivation, that's when it's time to go again."

The past month must have felt like a lifetime for Rory McIlroy, after he missed the chance to win a fifth major title at the US Open in June.

The Northern Irishman missed two short putts in the closing holes at Pinehurst, then watched on from the scoring hut as Bryson DeChambeau clinched victory with a stunning bunker shot on the 18th.

Saturday will mark 10 years since McIlroy's most recent major success, when he won The Open in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.

Contrasting fortunes within this marquee group as Ludvig Aberg showcases his laser precision on the first green to hole a birdie from 18 feet.

No such luck for Bryson DeChambeau who begins his Open challenge with three putts and a bogey.

Brian Harman removes his waterproof jacket as he is introduced by the starter as the defending champion.

Goes through his pre-shot routine and sends his tee shot down the left side of the fairway.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Royal Troon

Justin Rose was clearly unhappy with something that distracted him while taking his tee shot on the eighth, which resulted in his push into the sand. He immediately turned round and glared into the stand.

And it was still on his mind when he tucked in his six-foot par saver after a delicate bunker shot. His first thought was to stare back at the tee. He's not a happy bunny.

With only a light breeze and a damp receptive green, the eighth is a birdie hole right now.

We'd not seen anything from Justin Thomas after the bogey at five but he found a birdie at seven and has just made absolute mockery of The Postage Stamp.

What a tee shot, leaving his ball inside a foot from the hole. Even better than Iain Carter.

He's about to join the leaders.

BBC Golf correspondent Iain Carter was lucky enough to play Royal Troon a little earlier this year.

Click the link to watch how he got on at the course's most iconic hole. It's definitely worth a couple of minutes of your time.

Great par save from Justin Rose after stumping his tee shot at the eighth into the greenside bunker.

He clips it out safely and then slides home from five feet.

But what about everyone's favourite golf correspondent? How did he find Troon's most famous hole?

Image source, PA Media

Brian Harman will begin the defence of his Open title imminently, having returned the Claret Jug to the R&A earlier this week.

The American told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's sad but it makes you all the more motivated to try to grab it for another year.

"It's tough, you feel like it becomes a member of the family because it goes with you everywhere for a year. It leaves a bit of a gap and we'll be extra motivated [to win it again]."

Harman, who putted like a dream on his way to a dominant six-shot win at Royal Liverpool 12 months ago, is bidding to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to successfully defend their Open title.

Image source, PA Media

Brian Harman heads to Royal Troon as the defending Open champion, following his dominant win at Royal Liverpool last July.

The American left-hander was five shots clear of the field at the halfway mark and, helped by a magical week with the putter, eventually prevailed by six shots on a rainy Sunday.

Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Tom Kim and Sepp Straka shared second place, while Rory McIlroy finished tied for sixth position.

Back at the first, the champ is up next...

Up at the sixth, Matt Wallace has a birdie opportunity for the outright lead from the edge of the green.

He's left his putt a touch short but will tidy up for par.

Stays at three under.

That’s the rain back again…