Summary

  • Rory McIlroy leads on six under with a round of 66 at Hoylake

  • Italy's Matteo Manassero makes 67 and Molinari brothers both 68

  • Lowry, Scott, Garcia, Furyk and Koepka fire 68s and Tiger Woods 69

  • Westwood 71, Rose 72, Poulter 73, Mickelson 74, B Watson 76

Live Reporting

Andy Cryer, Ben Dirs and Luke Reddy

  1. Martin Kaymer (13:38 BST tee-off)

    Martin KaymerGetty Images

    Age: 29 Country: Germany

    World ranking: 12.

    Majors: US Open 1, PGA Championship 1

    Kaymer followed his eight-shot win at the U.S. Open this year by missing the cut, though it was in Germany during a week of celebrating his second major title. He returned to form at the French Open, and his wire-to-wire victories in two big events will only boost his confidence. Now that he has a full array of shots, the German needs to show a creative side on links golf. Only six players have won the U.S. Open and British Open in the same year - Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Bobby Jones.

  2. Here's the willowy swing of Henrik Stenson, floating one in at 18, and Angel Cabrera, five over today, joins him on the dancefloor in two blows. The two-time major champion might not be here this weekend on this form. America's Todd Hamilton, winner in 2004, is falling apart down the back nine, three shots gone at 12 and 13...

  3. Leaderboard

    -6: Rory McIlroy (NI); -5: Matteo Manassero (Ita); -4: Brooks Koepka (US), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Jim Furyk (US); -3: Robert Karlsson (Swe), Marc Leishman (Aus), Koumei Oda (Jap), Rickie Fowler (US), Tiger Woods (US), Marc Warren (Sco)

    Selected others: -2: Jordan Spieth (US), Stephen Gallagher (Sco); -1: Sandy Lyle (Sco); Par: Darren Clarke (NI), Hunter Mahan (US); +2: Ian Poulter (Eng), Graeme McDowell (NI), Padraig Harrington (Ire).

  4. Tiger trying to cut one into the 18th green and he's halted by the clickety-clicking of cameras. And again. Tiger not happy, this time he was almost into his down-swing... third-time lucky, into the front bunker, could get down in two from there.

  5. Miguel Angel Jimenez (13:27 BST tee-off)

    Age: 50 Country: Spain

    World ranking: 28

    Majors: None

    Joint third in the Open at Royal Lytham in 2001 and was the halfway leader at Muirfield last summer. The popular Spaniard is guaranteed a big crowd following him around. He's under way...

  6. Hoylake course guide

    7th (Telegraph)

    Par four, 480 yards

    TelegraphGetty Images

    A tough driving role with bunkers on the left and right. There is gorse further protecting the right side with bunkers and deep rough around the green. The hole generally plays longer than first thought so be generous on your club length.

    2006 difficulty rating: 5

  7. Get Involved

    Mark Calcavecchia's flight was cancelled which means he won't be playing in The Open, but every cloud has a silver lining...

    Anna Hale: Mark Calcavecchia look on the happy side, I enjoyed your hotel room and cake, cheers!

    Mark Calcavecchia's cakeAnna Hale

  8. McIlroy in for birdie at 16 and he now has the outright lead on six under par. Scotland's Stephen Gallacher makes a bogey at 13 and drops back to two under, Stenson bogeyed 17 to drops to one over.

  9. Peter Alliss
    BBC Sport commentator

    "Many people will have had a bet on Angel Cabrera for the championship but he's got a lot of work to do to even be here for the weekend.

    "It almost sounds condescending to say Tiger has done well but so many people had written him off before he started."

    Woods is three under par and Angel Cabrera is five over par as they head up the 18th.

  10. Manassero: Co-leader on five under

    Matteo Manassero

  11. Manassero pleased with day one

    Italy's Matteo Manassero, 21, speaks to BBC One after his round of 67 puts him in a share of the lead on five under: "It's been a wonderful morning weather wise and with my game like that it's a great start to my Open Championship. I played solid and you have to do that in this weather to make birdies. That's what I did, it was a nice round of golf.

    "This golf course gives you a chance with two reachable par fives at the end and I managed to make birdies there."

    The youngest winner of the Open since the start of the 20th Century is Seve Ballesteros, who was 22 years, three months and 12 days old when he won in 1979.

  12. Someone has just informed me that this season, Rory McIlroy is 43 under for his first rounds and 11 over for his second rounds. Bizarre. Woods thinks he's holed a long-range birdie putt at 17 but it lips out. Here's American wonder kid Jordan Spieth with a crackerjack approach at 16, he should get to two under. Woods stays three under, onto the 18th he marches.

  13. Ken Brown
    BBC Sport commentator

    "Sergio Garcia can be disappointed he didn't take anything out of the par-five 16th and 18th but he played some real quality shots."

    Garcia finished four under par after a round of 68.

  14. Former champions on day one

    Darren ClarkeGetty Images

    Who could forget Darren Clarke's emotional win in 2011? The Northern Irishman is back in the clubhouse after an opening 72 on day one. Level par looks like it will keep him in contention unless someone comes up with a Tour de France like breakaway in the coming hours.

  15. Henrik Stenson hacking out of some long stuff and into some more long stuff on 17. The Swede doles out some rough stuff to his club and that could be that for that particular instrument. Five men in the clubhouse on four under, there is hay to made at a glorious Royal Liverpool.

  16. Get Involved

    Chris Lewis: Doesn't anyone shout fore anymore? Twice Ricky Fowler has gone wayward with no shout from anyone.

    Tom Davidson: Can I put in a complaint to HR about the Internet in the office not being good enough to stream The Open?

    Stephen Blevins: Rory's roaring and Tiger's on the prowl! What a shoot out that would make come Sunday afternoon!

  17. Garcia dinks one on at 18 and that's not too handy, racing by. David Duval, champion in 2001 at Royal Lytham, is in with a one-over 73. Garcia's birdie putt stays right at 18 and he's in with a 68, one off the lead.

  18. Rob Hodgetts
    BBC Sport at Hoylake

    "Got chatting to three-time European Tour winner Nick Dougherty, here as part of BBC Radio 5 live's commentary team, while walking with the McIlroy group.

    "Born in Bootle, he played in the Open at Hoylake in 2006 (missed the cut) but has struggled in recent years and is playing on the Challenge Tour.

    "'This is a reminder of what was once there,' he told me. 'I'd rather be playing. It's difficult to watch the others doing it. But it gives you that hunger to keep going. I can earn my way back. It's inspiring to watch Rory. It makes me think 'I can do this'."

  19. McIlroy makes a solid par at 15, stays in a share of the lead on five under. Luke Donald on 18, with a big stick from the fairway, comes up short of the green. McIlroy on tee at 16 and that's a boomer, slap-bang in the middle of the short stuff. Woods playing out of rough at 17, having landed an official a glancing blow on the cheek with another errant tee shot, and that's a lovely shot, cut into the centre of the green.

  20. Peter Alliss
    BBC Sport commentator

    "Get rid of the grey whiskers and put some cherry blossom on the hair and Darren Clarke will look 32 again."

    Clarke finished level par after a round of 72