Image source, .

That's a lovely shade of tangerine, Steven...

Image source, Getty Images

In his spare time, Hideki Matsuyama enjoys photography. Here he is in the middle enjoying Wimbledon last week, I wonder if he snapped a selfie with Sir Chris Hoy?

What would he give to snap one of himself with the Claret Jug?

No Japanese player has ever won one of golf's four major championships. At world number two, the 25-year-old is now a shining hope for the land of the rising sun.

He's in good shape, two under through 15 and a long putt leaves around five feet for par on 16.

Paul Casey on the par-three fourth. Over the ball, takes his stance, 199 yards to navigate.

Fizzed in... stunning. A foot from the cup. Chalk up a birdie please! He will be two under soon.

Image source, .

What do you lads work on? The Pineapple Express? Fruity...

Henrik Stenson has just not got going today. Don't get me wrong, he's still in a position that most players would want to be in. But you just feel it could be so much better.

Another chance goes begging on the gettable par-five 17th, his emotionless expression telling you everything.

The defending champion is putting with his spade.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live golf expert

Jordan Spieth has played this textbook, over the mound off the tee. The rough is not bad out here, which is good because it's windy.

He's playing smart golf, aggressive off the tee, getting good lines - he's doing everything right.

Jordan Spieth is flying solo. After pushing his monster of an eagle putt wide, he leaves himself with an easy birdie chance.

That drops for his fifth birdie in a bogeyless round.

Image source, Ge

Sergio Garcia's shoulders were freed up of expectation gloriously when he landed his maiden major at the Masters. The nearly man ended 21 years of wait in major championships.

And coming to Royal Birkdale he has some serious form in the Open Championship. In his last three outings in the tournament he has tied for second, tied for sixth and tied for fifth. He loves the links and surely will go close.

And it's been some year for Spain of course. Since Garcia's Masters win Real Madrid have won the Champions League, Rafael Nadal has won the French Open, Garbine Muguruza the women's crown at Wimbledon, while Jon Rahm and Rafa Cabrera-Bello have won the last two events on the European Tour.

He's a shot over par after four.

Talk about finishing on a positive. Darren Clarke, the 2011 champion, sinks his first birdies of the day on 17 and 18 to end up five over.

Birdie putt on 15 for Brooks Koepka... he ain't holding back. The US Open champion goes on the attack, whistling his effort past the left lip. It sticks on the grass, leaving him with a short tap back which he makes.

What a shot and yet he doesn't know.... he doesn't know I tell you.

Charley Hoffman is in the knee-deep grass on the right of the first fairway but he pumps club head through ball and this is heading for the green. Bounce, bounce, run, run.... in.

Eagle.

He has no clue but I think his playing partners are telling him what the crack is. Now that's how you start an Open.

Co-leader Jordan Spieth is trying his hardest to leave Brooks Koepka solo. The Texan pulls his tee-shot on the par-five 17th left into the wispy rough.

Ah. Doesn't matter. With a long iron in hand and good lie underneath ball, Spieth swishes out a clean strike. He's on the green...

Remember the 17th at Birkdale? Padraig Harrington certainly does.

He stuck a five-wood to within three feet of the pin on this hole in 2008, going on to claim a four-shot win.

Jordan Spieth is there next...

We told you Jordan Spieth was in trouble on 16. Turns out he has wriggled out of a tight spot easier than a contortionist.

He rolls in from 12 feet to hold on the par four, keeping him top of the leaderboard alongside Brooks Koepka.

Ernie Els is out there and hot after five holes as he gobbles up a second birdie. Ernie has only hit one of four fairways so far but he's two under.

Jason Day moves under par with birdie on three. I refuse to give him a big build up when he's wearing these. One under.

Image source, Reuters

So Gary Player gave the field his wishes today but forget that, please, please watch this video of the great man defying his 81 years in somersaulting from a boat last week.

Some users may have to click the links to see these posts.

-4 Spieth (15), Koepka (14)

-3 Poulter (after 18),

-2 Manley (after 18), Noren (after 18), Hahn (13), Baddeley (4)

-1 Fitzpatrick (after 18), Els (4), Stenson (15), Casey (1), Sullivan (2)

E Rose (14), Stricker (after 18),Henley (after 18), Day (2), Scott (1)

Selected others:

+1 Danny Willett (after 18), +1 Z.Johnson (2), +1 Garcia (2), +8 Oosthuizen (15)

Full leaderboard available here.

We're well under way on day one at Birkdale, but there are still a few interesting groups preparing for the first tee. Keep an eye on a few of these coming up...

14:04 Jimmy Walker, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

14:48 Rory McIlroy (NI), Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel (SA)

14:59 Jon Rahm (Spa), Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood (Eng)

15:10 Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari (Ita), Marc Leishmann (Aus)

15:21 Scott Hend (Aus), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Bubba Watson

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Royal Birkdale

There are parts of this course that are tucked away behind mounds and pine trees where it could almost be summer - sheltered from the sea breeze, warming up in the occasional bursts of weak sun, coats being peeled off and hats removed.

And then when you climb up over the 5th green onto the 6th tee, the wind kicks up and the shivers begin. It is a day for layers, hot drinks and limited periods of standing still.

Ooooh. Brooks Koepka could be seeing his name all alone on the top of the leaderboard when he trudges to the next hole.

That's because Jordan Spieth has gone off-piste on the 16th. The two-time lashes one right - over the spectators - ploughing into the rough.

His ball disappears like a speeding car into a stack of hay in a 1960s slapstick comedy.