Martin Kaymer, after a fine recovery after a wild tee shot, does well to stay at four under. Steady also from playing partners Dustin Johnson and Russell Knox.

Pars for all three players on the 12th. On to the next one.

You look like a pack of highlighter pens.

And Phil Mickelson takes the outright lead - he moves on to six under with a birdie on the 14th.

That's a sixth birdie of the afternoon for the American, who is yet to drop a shot.

A pretty nasty lie for Kaymer after his dodgy tee shot on the 12th. He hacks it out of the rough with a nine iron to 30 foot north of the hole for a pretty decent recovery.

Sergio Garcia has reached the half-way stage in 34, that's two under through nine holes.

The Spaniard carded three birdies on his way out, with just a bogey on the par-four seventh letting him down so far.

Image source, PA

Phil Mickelson is still going strong, the American leaves himself an easy par putt on the 13th and tucks it away to hold on to his share of the lead.

Mickelson, looking to add to his 2013 Open Championship title, is yet to establish an outright lead at Troon today and that makes it three pars in a row.

Still, there will be no complaining so far from the five-time major champion.

Martin Kaymer, using a five wood on the 12th tee, gets it all wrong as the ball bounces off to the left of the fairway into the rough.

The German, currently in tied third on four under, has not dropped a shot today. He will do well to still be able to say that in 10 minutes time.

Patrick Reed opened with a five-under 66, which is the equal lowest opening-round Open Championship score at Royal Troon along with Wayne Stephens (1989), Paul Casey (2004) and Thomas Levet (2004).    

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Kaymer, on the relatively flat green of the 11th, is unsuccessful with a birdie attempt that would have given him a share of the lead at five under.

Dustin Johnson gets the pace of a putt attempt wrong, but recovers at the second attempt for a par - which Kaymer then matches shortly afterwards.

What of Russell Knox, who got closer to the train track than he would have liked earlier on? Well, he also does well to save par.

Not sure about that hat.

Jay Townsend
Former European Tour player

The conditions are easier than they were this morning and it will be good again tomorrow morning with the best of the weather.

These guys who are out now get the double bonus in the draw as they will have a good front nine tomorrow morning before it gets bad.

Teeing off next to the railway line, a train whistles through as Zach Johnson is about to strike - I'll take a one-way ticket to a second Open title, please.

The American is undeterred, a moment's hesitation to gather his composure before knocking one down the fairway.

Russell Knox's tee shot on the 11th nearly ends up on the adjacent train line, but he recovers well and finds the middle of the fairway to get back on track.

No such drama for Martin Kaymer and Dustin Johnson, who both get on the green in two.

Image source, Getty Images

Justin Thomas finished on four under earlier, enough to keep him in second place at the minute. He spoke to BBC Radio 5 live.

The American made a great start, birdieing the first four holes of his first ever Open Championship.

“It was great, it certainly makes any round easier when you start like that.”

He added: “Well I’ve been fortunate because I’ve played some links golf, but it just changes so much with the wind and the weather.”

Thomas is from a golfing family, with both his father and grandfather being pros.

“I knew I was going to play golf my whole life. Apparently my first words were bag of balls.”

Zach Johnson has a birdie chance on the 10th, but it pulls up short. 

The defending champion looked anxious approaching his par putt, but in the end it's confidently sunk and that keeps him on four under, one stroke behind the leaders.

Did not know such a society existed.

Impressive Justin Rose scores back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th as he moves up the leaderboard.

It's 19 years since Phil Mickelson first played Royal Troon, and the joint-leader has made 91% of his first 11 greens today in regulation.

The 46-year-old American has shown great form once he's arrived there, too, needing just 16 putts and carding five birdies so far on his way to five under par.