Andrew Murray
Former European Tour player on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

It's like being in a different country, it really is. There couldn't be two more extremes. 

It's a cold, blustery wind completely in a different direction to yesterday - it makes the outward nine more demanding and the inward nine has lost its teeth a little bit.

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DJ - Dustin Johnson - with some joy on hole one. Like an all you can eat pic 'n mix, his shot is wonderful. Just three feet left for an opening birdie and the man who said he "likes his chances" ahead of this week, is one under for the tournament is he? NO. What a poor miss from so close. Lipped out.

Martin Kaymer and Russell Knox are alongside him and both take par when birdie was an inch from dropping.

Martin Kaymer carded a five-under opening round at Troon yesterday, and the German says the Links course suits his game.

He's currently three off the lead, and nicely on the opening green as he plays alongside Dustin Johnson.

"As a European, I love playing in Europe because every week is very different and every course that we play I enjoy the different cultures," said Kaymer.

 "For me, that is just the way I have to schedule my next few years. It took me 10 years to understand where is the best place for me to play my best golf."

Image source, Getty Images

It is starting to go a little wrong for Tony Finau as he gingerly prods at a putt on nine, that will not get the job done and that's two over for the day courtesy of a bogey.

Things are starting to go very right for Soren Kjeldsen as he uses a left-to-right break on six to drop a lengthy putt into the hole. Birdie time. Six under and two off the lead.

What for the leader? Phil Mickelson is on the dance floor on three but some way from the pin. The lead tightens.

-8: Mickelson (2)

-5: Kjeldsen (5), Kaymer (09:03), Reed (13:04)

-4: Molinari (6), Sullivan (1), Z Johnson (09:14), Keegan (09:47), Thomas (12:53), Stricker (14:15), Horschel (15:10)

Selected others:

-3: Rose (14:04)

-2: Fowler (14:26), McIlroy (14:37)

-1: B Watson (14:37)

E: Westwood (1), D Johnson (09:03), Spieth (14:04), Willett (14:26)

+2: Day (14:26)

Tee times and full leaderboard, external

Ben Dirs
BBC Sport at Royal Troon

Image source, g

Troon a different beast this morning. Grey clouds hugging the Firth of Clyde as Mickelson Tees off at three. No rain - as yet - but a healthy wind to keep everyone honest. I think we can safely say there will be no 63 for Lefty today.

As we told you earlier, some of the players are wearing black ribbons as a mark of respect for those who have lost their lives in yesterday's Nice attack.

Image source, PA

Ay Caramba, Phil Mickelson dices with an early drop on two as his ball does a full lap of the cup before dropping. I thought he'd missed that one. The ball just took the right edge of the cup and it's par.

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston is one of your favourities it seems, so good news. He reads a right-to-left breaker well on three and makes birdie to reach one under.

And Graeme McDowell is showing the field how things are done, he rolls another long putt into the heart of the cup for a second birdie in a row. Two under through three holes today.

The pre-Championship favourite Dustin Johnson and the defending champion Zach go off just after 09:00 while Monty will have time to enjoy his breakfast today before starting his round.

Patrick Reed will be seeking to make up ground on Phil Mickelson when he tees off just after 1pm.

09:03 Dustin Johnson (US), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Russell Knox (Sco)

09:14 Zach Johnson (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

11:36 Colin Montgomerie (Sco), Marc Leishman (Aus), Luke Donald (Eng)

13:04 Branden Grace (SA), Patrick Reed (US), Byeong Hun An (Kor)

13:26 Padraig Harrington (Ire), Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Jamie Donaldson (Wal)  

Gorgeous flop from the bunker by this man, Soren Kjeldsen to leave a foot for par. He had some grinding to do there and delivered. 

Bill Haas makes bogey on the sixth, his putt misses right, just a little too much pace prevented it from breaking enough.

Image source, PA

Image source, Getty Images

Graeme McDowell, black long sleeve, black cap, drains a 25ft putt for birdie. That's a great read and a lovely weight.

Soren Kjeldsen in danger of undoing a fine start to his day as he picks out a pot bunker on six and the man he is chasing - Phil Mickelson - produces a hook on two to leave a nasty up and down from 30ft right of the green. Phil will get the utensils on it, probably end up flicking one bang close, but it's tricky.

The card from your dreams? Yes, mine too.

Some neat signatures but more importantly neat scores on what was so close to being a historic round for Phil Mickelson.

Possibly my favourite tweet of Thursday came from Shane Lowry, who on seven over par, made light of Phil Mickelson's missed putt for a 62 on the final hole.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Mickelson is in the cup, as is Lee Westwood for par on one. I can also tell you that Andrew 'Beef' Johnston has dropped an two shots, starting bogey-bogey. Less brilliance, less beef, more floundering, more lettuce.

As Charl Schwartzel makes birdie on three to enter red numbers, his fellow South African Ernie Els fluffs a chip and sees his ball trickle back into a bunker on the first, he's struggling to make bogey now.

Playing partner Phil Mickelson goes close with a long birdie putt and should now tap in for par.

Meanwhile Soren Kjeldsen continues to go about his work in steady fashion as he uses the wind to hang one up and leave 10ft for birdie on four. Can he make it? You bet. Superb golf from the Dane who is now tied for second.

A warning for Mickelson, Haas, Finau and others with hopes of success out there.

A former winner of The Open has just carded double digits on a par four.

He moves to 13 over. My guess is he's wishing he could just walk back in now.

Image source, .

BBC Radio 5 Live

So it's serious now. We've had minimal movement on the leaderboard in this first hour or so but Phil Mickelson is up now. He stands poised, good clean swing, good clean ball into the fairway.

The former Open champion is playing alongside Lee Westwood who uses a driver and finds the rough. 

Ernie Els, like Westwood is level par, and in what look like some really comfy shoes, Theodore Ernest Els clips one down the middle.

Image source, AP

-8: Mickelson (US)

-5: Kaymer (Ger), Reed (US)

-4: Finau (US), Kjeldsen (Den), Haas (US), Sullivan (Eng), Z Johnson (US), Keegan (US), Thomas (US), Stricker (US), Horschel (US)

Tee times and full leaderboard, external