Summary

  1. Postpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 17 July

    Lowry -1, Morikawa +1, Scheffler -1 (4)

    Pars for Shane Lowry and Scottie Scheffler on four, which is a tough approach as you'll see from the video that the green is guarded by two big hills so has a narrow gap to play through or over, especially with a front left pin today.

    Media caption,

    2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke talks us through Hole 4 at Royal Portrush

  2. Birdie for Brookspublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 17 July

    Burns E, Koepka -1, Potgieter E (5)

    Brooks Koepka rejoins the group of players that are under par today with a 25-footer for birdie on the fifth.

    Sam Burns needed two goes to get out of a fairway bunker and makes five to drop back to level par.

  3. Postpublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 17 July

    Harrington +4, Hojgaard -2, McKibbin E (17)

    Padraig Harrington on the green at Royal Portrush for The OpenImage source, Getty Images

    Padraig Harrington and Nicolai Hojgaard both have lengthy birdie looks on the final hole after drives down the fairway and irons into the green.

    But Tom McKibbin is 47 feet away in three after a wild drive left him hacking back on to the fairway.

  4. Olesen flyingpublished at 11:27 British Summer Time 17 July

    Olesen -5 (15)

    Jacob Skov Olesen watches on during the 153rd Open Championship at Royal PortrushImage source, Getty Images

    Jacob Skov Olesen can play you know, as he shows on the 15th by picking up another birdie to move to five under for his round.

  5. First group on final holepublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 17 July

    Media caption,

    Babington's: The eighteenth hole at Royal Portrush is a 474-yard par four.

    As the 06.35am group go down the last, here's what players have to deal with on 18.

  6. Postpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 17 July

    Westwood -3 (10)

    Lee Westwood looks on during the 153rd Open Championship at Royal PortrushImage source, Getty Images

    Lee Westwood has turned for home up at the 10th and he does it in the way he navigated his nine holes out.

    Carefully plotted down the fairway, good second shot and then into the hole in two.

    Another par ticked off.

  7. Postpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 17 July

    Matt Fitzpatrick watches on wearing a beanie hat during The Open Championship 2025Image source, PA Media

    Thoughts on Matt Fitzpatrick wearing a bobble hat?

    It's the 17 July!

    Thumbs up if you're also wearing one.

  8. Birdie for Fitzpublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 17 July

    Fitzpatrick -2, Fox +5, Matsuyama +1 (6)

    Matt Fitzpatrick lines up a putt at Royal Portrush for the 153rd Open ChampionshipImage source, PA Media

    Matt Fitzpatrick picks up a birdie on the sixth after hitting it to 16 feet off the tee and then converting with the putter for a two.

  9. Postpublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 17 July

    Harrington +4, Hojgaard -2, McKibbin E (17)

    It's all gone a little calm for three players who will reach home first.

    Another round of pars on the downhill 17th. Expect that to be a big birdie hole if the players can get the ball bounding down the huge slope off the tee.

    I watched Jordan Spieth practicing yesterday and he hit half a dozen balls from about 40 yards short of the green.

    One to play and Nicolai Hojgaard is going to set an under par clubhouse target.

  10. Jordan moves up the leaderboardpublished at 11:17 British Summer Time 17 July

    Jordan -2 (8)

    Matthew JordanImage source, Getty Images

    England's Matthew Jordan is putting together a tidy round.

    He hit the opening tee shot at his home club of Royal Liverpool two years ago on his way to the first of his 10th-placed finishes at the Open.

    A second birdie of the day over eight puts him in a share of fourth - and why would anyone be surprised?

  11. Postpublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 17 July

    Rahm E, Schauffele E, Spaun +1 (4)

    Jon Rahm watches on with his caddy during the 153rd Open Championship at Royal PortrushImage source, Getty Images

    Jon Rahm has given himself looks at birdie at each of the first four holes but has had to settle for par on each.

    The Spaniard is a two-time Irish Open winner and both of those victories were on links courses - at Lahinch and also at Portstewart, which is just next door to Royal Portrush.

    He finished tied for 11th here in 2019 and fell in love with the course when he played it in the 2014 Amateur Championship, so will fancy his chances of another big week.

    Rahm is the only player in the field to have finished in the top 10 in three of the past four Open Championships, and has the best aggregate score over those past four events at -26.

    Meanwhile, US Open champion JJ Spaun found the bunker off the tee and is punished with a bogey five.

  12. Birdie for Schefflerpublished at 11:13 British Summer Time 17 July

    Lowry -1, Morikawa +1, Scheffler -1 (3)

    Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt at Royal Portrush at the 153rd Open ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    Scottie Scheffler hits a nice iron shot on the par-three third hole and then rolls in a nice birdie putt from 18 feet to join Shane Lowry on one under.

    Scheffler had another awful putting show in Scotland last week but if he goes well on the greens this week he'll be back in business.

  13. 'A really big Northern Ireland welcome'published at 11:13 British Summer Time 17 July

    a woman with a big smile wearing a bright yellow tabard with the word VOLUNTEER on it

    Volunteers are on hand in Portrush to help usher visitors to where they need to be. They're needed because with 275,000 spectators expected over the coming days, the Open is the biggest sporting event held in Northern Ireland.

    Lindsay Armstrong is one of them and is having a great time.

    "We work off the golf course and some of our volunteers have already met Nick Faldo and Rory McIlroy," she says.

    "It's really exciting.

    "It's about giving a really big Northern Ireland welcome to the global audience arriving in Portrush."

    Meet more of the Open volunteers here.

  14. Postpublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 17 July

    Gotterup E (9), Cantlay -1 (8)

    Chris Gotterup watches on during the 153rd Open Championship at Royal PortrushImage source, Getty Images

    Chris Gotterup, who earned his place in the field by winning the Scottish Open last week, has made a solid start to his Open debut. He's reached the turn in level par.

    In one of the groups just behind, fellow American Patrick Cantlay is also going well - a birdie on the fifth goes along with seven pars for him to lie one under after eight.

  15. Postpublished at 11:07 British Summer Time 17 July

    England's Lee Westwood with wife and caddie Helen Storey waiting on the 6th on day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal PortrushImage source, PA Media

    Iain Carter has just said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Lee Westwood's wife was planning for a boat trip around the French riviera this week.

    Instead, she's hauling his bag around the undulating beauty of Royal Portrush - and egging him on as he contends at his 28th Open.

    Worked out well for everyone I think.

  16. Postpublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 17 July

    Westwood -3 (9)

    Lee Westwood smiling at Royal Portrush for the 153rd Open ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    Can Lee Westwood crown his fine front nine in fitting style?

    He takes aim from from close to 20 feet and bends his knee in frustration as it grazes the right edge of the cup.

    Three birdies, six pars - and a share of second as he makes the turn.

  17. Postpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 17 July

    Media caption,

    2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke talks us through Hole 16 at Royal Portrush

    Any excuse to show you that kamikaze par three.

    First group through it. Everyone else yet to endure it.

  18. Pars all round on Calamitypublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 17 July

    Harrington +4, Hojgaard -2, McKibbin E (16)

    Nicolai Hojgaard putts at Royal Portrush for the 153rd Open ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    None of the three out first found the green at Calamity Corner. But all three walk off with a par. Nicolai Hojgaard holed the longest putt, from around a dozen feet.

  19. Bogey for Brookspublished at 11:02 British Summer Time 17 July

    Burns -1, Koepka E, Potgieter +1 (4)

    On the fourth, Brooks Koepka gives back the birdie he carded at the first.

    He chooses to putt his third shot from the fairway but doesn't give it quite enough up the slope, leaving himself just too much to do to save par.

  20. Jackets requiredpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 17 July

    Open ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    As the rain starts to tumble down at Portrush you'll see some players donning the waterproof jackets but plenty of them doing everything they can to avoid them.

    As these days players hardly ever have to play in wet conditions given they chase the sun around, so a lot of players really struggle to swing properly with that extra layer on.

    It sounds strange but it really can make a difference and give some an advantage. As I'm pretty sure Shane Lowry has played in a spot of rain before.