Harris English is not someone who popped out as a contender before today - even though he finished tied for second spot at May's US PGA Championship.

After all, he only has one top-40 finish in nine previous Open appearances and that was at Muirfield 12 years ago when he came in a tie for 15th.

He won't care less if he's still top of the leaderboard in three days' time.

At 14, Tyrrell Hatton needed to find the bottom of the cup from seven feet to save par.

He's got nearly 10 feet on the 15th - but it's the same outcome.

Nerveless from the Englishman.

Image source, Getty Images

Seven birdies, two bogeys and just three pars for Harris English through 12 holes so far today.

Our leader has been keeping people entertained - it's just no-one is watching him!

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live at Portrush

Four hours for Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas to hit the 12th tee shot is extraordinary. But you know it’s a combination of things.

It’s not necessarily slow play from the players, it’s the golf course. First group out was five hours, which is obviously a long time but as soon as there’s a ball search that holds people up.

The golf course is slow because there are drivable par threes, par four and then a reachable par five and then the golf course holds people up.

As soon as there’s any kind of a wait it just ends up feeding back through the entire field. When you’re teeing off at 15:14 like these guys, it just means the round is going to be extraordinarily long.

It’s one of the challenges of an Open.

All three players are short with their third shots from the right side of the green and leave themselves a bit of distance to save par.

Bob MacIntyre is first but his effort is pulled right and he's back to level par.

Bryson DeChambeau makes his par putt and Justin Rose does likewise from eight feet, keeping his scorecard bogey-free.

After a modest tee-shot at the part-three 13th Rory McIlroy chips in a beauty.

The crowd start to stand to their feet it as the ball scurries all the way to the hole raising the decibel levels...only to stop a fraction short.

Par for the Northern Irishman, who nips the bogey run in the bud.

James Gregg
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter at Portrush

Remarkably, spectators are all looking the other way.

But this is the way when you have star names at these big events.

Harris English follows his birdie on the 11th with another on the par-five 12th and he's into the lead on his own at five under par.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout has a 25-foot putt for birdie on the final hole to move into the clubhouse lead on his own...

So close!

It's a par and a round of 67. Well played, sir.

Image source, Getty Images

Bob MacIntyre's approach lands in the rough to the right of the green. Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau follow him but they are lying much better.

Up at the 14th, Tyrrell Hatton has left himself seven feet to save par after a clumsy chip from the fringe.

But he's holed it. Stones from Tyrrell and he stays at three under par.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live at Portrush

It's incredible, two holes ago he was flying and looked invincible.

Two holes have gone, and two shots have dropped. Didn't see that coming.

Image source, Getty Images

Justin Thomas sees the ball curl at the last moment and has to settle for par at the 12th. Tommy Fleetwood leaves his birdie effort right on the lip of the hole before tapping on.

Rory McIlroy is battling tor par...and grimaces when he curls it just past the hole. The crowd groans.

Back-to-back bogeys for the Northern Irishman.

Justin Rose has not made a bogey so far today - he's one of only four players in the 156-man field that has not dropped a shot.

Both Rose and Robert MacIntyre find the semi-rough off the 14th tee, while Bryson DeChambeau hits it another 40 yards into a fairway bunker.

The 11th hole is the hardest hole on the course in terms of scoring today and Lucas Glover finds that out first hand.

His bogey five removes him from a share of the lead.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live at Royal Portrush

There's a stiff breeze here at the end of the day for the players to contend with.

The draw has probably now evened out itself out compared to the earlier groups.

Fair to say The Open has not been kind to Bryson DeChambeau.

Aside from a tie for eighth in 2022, the two-time major champion has struggled around the links and chalk day one at Portrush alongside a bunch of missed cuts.

Double bogey at 13 knocks him to five over par.

Justin Rose meanwhile tucks home a confident par putt to remain at two under.

Five straight pars for South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout since his eagle on the 12th took him to four under par and a share of the lead.

He'll join three other players in the clubhouse on four under if he can make par down the last.

Rory McIlroy lays up from the bunker, leaving himself 140 yards to the flag with his third shot...

A decent line but it comes to rest at the back of the green, the proverbial mile away from the cup. Two putts for par from there will be the main objective.

Justin Thomas sends his third from the light rough much closer, but still a 25-footer left for birdie.

Tommy Fleetwood spins his third from the fairway to within 15 feet and he has the best chance for birdie among this group on this par five.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland at Royal Portrush

Justin Rose is now the man on the move in this group, creeping to two under in his usual understated manner.

While the players were held up again on the 12th tee, they all opted to refuel. While Rose and Bryson DeChambeau nibbled away, Bob MacIntyre did something violent, looking to a sandwich.