The 2011 champion Darren Clarke tweets:, external Tough start but battled back well today. The golf course is immaculate. Need some proper links weather though! #blowhard

Clarke finished with a level par 72.

Mickelson just misses the fairway with his tee shot, Ernie Els has pulled his left and hit someone right in the chops. Bubba with an iron, skims one down the middle... Spieth misses makeable birdie putt at the last and is in with a 71.

We have two southpaws on tee at the first - defending champion Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Bubba Watson. McIlroy in with a six-under 66, the wee man is looking bright and breezy in the Hoylake sun - but will he wither when the wind gets up?

Kevin Stadler, who recently won his first title at the 239th attempt, has stumbled out of the blocks with three straight bogeys. Sir Nicholas of Faldoshire doubles 14, drops to +3. McIlroy demonstrates the touch of a miniature portrait painter from the sand at 18, could make a bird from there.

Image source, Reuters

Rory into the 18th and he's where Tiger was, bunker in front of the green. Jimmy Walker, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, makes a longun on 17 to moves to three under. Keep an eye on him, he's blooming late and he's blooming big...

-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)

Selected others: -2: Stephen Gallagher (Sco), Thomas Bjorn (Den); -1: JordanSpieth (US), Stewart Cink (US); Par: Sandy Lyle (Sco), Darren Clarke (NI), Hunter Mahan (US), David Howell (Eng); +1: Tom Watson (US) +2: Ian Poulter (Eng), Paul Casey (Eng), Graeme McDowell (NI) +3: Padraig Harrington (Ire), Nick Faldo (Eng); +4: Angel Cabrera (Arg)

Full leaderboard; , external Tee times

Charl Schwartzel, Masters champion in 2011, finishes birdie-birdie-birdie for a 71. Choi sends a six-footer over the cellophane bridge at 18, he finishes bogey-bogey for a 72. Padraig Harrington's not having a good time of it this year, the former two-time champion is in with a 74 despite a birdie at 18.

Ernie Els, winner in 2012, speaking to BBC Sport from the practice ground ahead of his 14:05 BST start time: "I like the course, I've played it quite a few times in practice. It's a little different to 2006, much greener, and hopefully the wind will stay away and this will be a scoring day.

"It's been a quiet and disappointing season and we're more than halfway through the year. I need to get something going but links is my favourite type of golf."

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson, who finished sixth at the Open last year, comes up well short with his birdie attempt at the first, could be a shot gone. Marc Warren gets a shot back at the par-three 13th, back to three under he goes.

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"As the years go by, certain players develop a certain stature and I think Rory McIlroy now has that stature. He is showing confidence and now knows he can compete with the great players."

8th (Briars)

Par four, 431 yards

Image source, Getty Images

A blind tee shot over and out-of-bounds hedge some 190 yards directly in front of you. Miss the trouble and you have relatively straight forward approach to a green protected by four bunkers.

2006 difficulty rating: 13

Image source, Ernie Els

Hoylake officials perhaps need to keep an eye on Ernie Els after he admitted he tried to steal a picture of himself the last time the Open was played here in 2006.

The picture was of the South African winning 'the Tillman Trophy' on the Wirral links in 1988. "The reason I wanted the picture would be clear if you saw it - I was such a skinny lad with a nice haircut," he said.

Els tees off at 14:05 BST.

McIlroy has got the big furniture out on 18 and given his ball a damn good thrashing. Lovely stuff. Matsuyama with his almost two-part swing, sends it high and mighty and straight down the middle, Spieth follows him down there.

Matsuyama pulling up trees, he makes another long-range birdie putt disappear at 17 and moves to three under. McIlroy stays six under and in the outright lead. I'm not sure if I mentioned, but Spain's Sergio Garcia is lurking on the shoulders of the leaders, in with a four-under 68.

Ken Brown
BBC Sport commentator

"It will be interesting to see what Tiger has to say. It's rarely a negative comment. He'll have enjoyed that round because he would have been apprehensive beforehand.

"He must have been nervous walking onto the first tee. His swing looked as sound as ever."

Korea's KJ Choi is rocking and rolling down the back nine - four birdies and four bogeys between 10 and 17, he doesn't know whether he's Essex or Kent at the moment. Shot gone for Marc Warren of Scotland at the par-four 12th, he drops to two under. McIlroy with a knee-knocker for par at 17...

BBC Radio 5 live

Simon Dyson speaking on BBC Radio 5 live: "A steward has been hit twice. You do feel incredibly guilty when you hit someone with a ball. A lot of the golfers don't shout fore."

Stenson for birdie on 18 and that's straight down the pipe, the Swede in with a level-par 72. Woods makes par for a 69, four under down the back nine, Cabrera makes a ramshackle 76, despite a birdie at the last.

Image source, AP

Stewart Cink was borderline villain in 2009 when he beat 59-year-old Tom Watson in a play-off at Turnberry to win his only major to date.

The American, 41, is in the clubhouse on one under after round one at Royal Liverpool.

McIlroy with four iron into the 17th green, from short scrub... just short, but should make par. Stenson with a decent long putt at 18, that should be a birdie from four feet. Woods with an awkward stance at 18 but that's a decent escape, should salvage his par. US Open champion Martin Kaymer, one of the jewels in this glorious year of German sport, gets chocs away at the first...