Postpublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Image source, PAThe crowds are already flocking into Hoylake to enjoy a perfect morning for golf. The presence of Tiger Woods near the top of the leaderboard can only help the numbers.
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
Postpublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Image source, PAKoepka shows poisepublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
The big-hitting Brooks Koepka shows he has the touch to compliment his power with an eagle putt from all of 50 feet which stops alongside the hole. He will have a tap-in for a share of the lead.
Koepka is only 24 and yet to win on the PGA Tour, but his fourth-place finish at the last major - the US Open - was impressive.
Image source, ReutersGet Involvedpublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Anton Martin:, external Would love a Sergio win, great start from him.
Neill Adamson:, external If only Rory could get his putter working. He should be 5 or 6 under par.
Obbby:, external Singleton, made of steel. Hope he has an unbelievable day.
The co-leaderpublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Birdie for Garciapublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Sergio Garcia has been in the mix from the off and his long, snaking putt on the par-three 13th is good. Majestically judged it's a birdie and the Spaniard is tied for the lead again with Rickie Fowler on four under.
Woods back to level parpublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Could this be the start of a charge for Tiger? The American leaves the 11th with a spring in his step after holing with a monster putt from off the green to move to level par with a birdie three.
Woods has struggled so far today but that putt could well be the momentum he needs. After two bogeys on the first two holes, he will be relieved to see he is only four shots off the lead. He is still in this.
Manassero back to three underpublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
The putts are dropping for a lot of players today as Matteo Manassero moves back to three under with a birdie on the par-three 15th. The Italian never looked like missing as he rammed his eight foot putt into the heart of the hole.
Leishman satisfiedpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Australian Marc Leishman reacts to his round on BBC One: "Conditions were perfect. Basically no wind, greens perfect and the course fairly receptive compared to the last few years in the Open. A 69 was a good start and nice to be under par.
"It was nice to get out there early and put a good score on the board. I'm ready for the wind, it's nice when you get a day like today but I'm expecting to hit a fair few wind shots later in the week."
Leishman rounded off his score of 69 with a birdie at the last and is in a share of the lead on three under.
Postpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Anyone wondering how Open debutant and local factory worker John Singleton is doing will be pleased to hear the answer is well.
The Birkenhead boy is level par after four holes and finds himself ahead of a host of big names.
Fowler takes lead on four underpublished at 11:44 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Rickie Fowler takes the outright lead on four-under par with a birdie on the par-four 12th. The American is fancied by many to break his major duck this week and he has shown no reason to doubt him so far. Very solid.
Postpublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
This is turning out to be a real scrap at the front of the field on the first morning of the Open. The conditions are perfect for scoring and 11 players have taken advantage with a share of the lead at three under.
There are another six players just one shot adrift and a further 19 players on one under.
Tightly bunched? Not half.
Postpublished at 11:39 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Philip Parkin
BBC Sport on-the-course reporter
Image source, PA"Tiger Woods is being patient but a couple of the shots into the green have not been as consistent a he would have liked."
Woods is one over through 10.
Postpublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Chance for Rickie Fowler to take the outright lead on four under as he pitches to within a few yards on the 12th.
Scotland's Steven Gallacher joins the 11-strong group in the lead with his third birdie in succession at the sixth.
That's roughpublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Image source, ReutersPlenty of rough around if you do slice, hook or muck up your drive, as Kim Hyung-sung of South Korea found out earlier. He finishes his round on a level-par 72.
Birdie from Oosthuizenpublished at 11:32 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Louis Oosthuizen pumps his iron off the tee and to within five feet on the sixth hole. The South African lifted the Claret Jug in 2010 and starts well here, rolling the putt home for a birdie and two under.
Oda and Leishman join leaders on three underpublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Make that 10 players sharing the lead as Japan's Koumei Oda and Australia's Marc Leishman make birdies at 17 and 18 respectively to move to three under.
And then there were eight leaderspublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Image source, The OpenThere is an eight-way share for the lead and there are a dozen players on two under, including KJ Choi, Matteo Manassero, and Scottish pair Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren.
Elsewhere, England's Luke Donald is level par and Ian Poulter is three over par after a disappointing start.
Testing for Tigerpublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Ken Brown
BBC Sport commentator"The second week back after your injury and missing the cut on your previous starts, it's going to be a tough week for Tiger Woods."
Woods is currently one over par after nine holes, four shots off the lead.
Get Involvedpublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
Aaron Willis:, external Peter Alliss is just the voice of golf. Superb. The David Attenborough of golf.
Alex Smith:, external The course at Hoylake is looking beautiful today, green wherever you look (and white trousers for Peter Alliss!)
Greg Price:, external Rory McIlroy on form at Hoylake. In with a great chance this week.
What a shot!published at 11:25 British Summer Time 17 July 2014
It's in the hole. A moment of magic from Sergio Garcia as he chips in on the 11th from off the green to return to a share of the lead on three under.
Garcia had bogeyed 10 but recovered in style as his chip and run rolled straight into the middle of the hole.