Justin Rose is putting some speed on his putts today. He won't be leaving it short.

It flies about 4ft past the hole. He applies a softer touch on the bogey putt.

Not the best start to the back nine for the Englishman, who falls two shots away from the leaders.

Justin Thomas missed a putt from the back of the green, but leaves with par and he goes level with Rose.

Jordan Spieth knocks his approach on 11 into the heart of the green... position A.

Up ahead on 17... Poulter finds the sand on the right side. But he has got a good lie and a soft green in front of him. Plus a bunker game up there with the best. He splashes out, sprinkling the bunker camera with plenty of grains, troubling the hole with his ball.

It just misses the right edge but settles sharpish, leaving him with a tap-in for a birdie.

Image source, Getty Images

Matthew Fitzpatrick looks pretty pleased after signing for a one-under 69. The Yorkshireman counterbalances three bogeys with four birdies - including one on the par-five 17th - to stay within a shot of clubhouse leader Stuart Manley.

Justin Rose reaches the turn in great shape, just a shot off the lead.

But that is a terrible start to the back nine as he finds a bunker from the tee. He manages to find a way out and gets back on track, but tough ask to get this down in four.

His third shot lands on the green, but it leaves him a huge putt for par.

Head still, stiff arms, swinging like a pendulum. Textbook tiddler of a putt from Henrik Stenson, sticking in a short par putt on the 10th.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live golf expert

The tee shot at 10 is very difficult, bunkers up the left and right and the wind off an elevator tee is coming into your face.

Jordan Spieth played aggressively again and took an aggressive line to leave himself a good lie.

Not only is he putting well, but he's not taking the conservative options off the tee which before the tournament many players said they were going to do.

It tells me he is feeling very comfortable with his tee-to-green play.

You know you're playing well when you make difficult shots look easy peasy. Jordan Spieth strays left of the 10th green, on a downslope, but executes his chip on to perfection. That leaves him with an easy tap-in for a par.

Andrew Murray
Former European Tour player on BBC Radio 5 live

Ian Poulter has made a couple of incredible up-and-downs, some really tricky shots, and on the 14th holed a really gusty seven/eight footer. He's looking good and looking confident.

Hes got two holes down the breeze to finish with. So fingers crossed.

He's got a great temperament. He looks confident. He played well in Scotland last week and if you are in the frame you need to get used to playing nervous, and playing links golf nervous is a good preparation for this week.

His chest is puffed out, he's engaging with the crowd which I really admire - he's just high-fived a kid, which I wish more of the players would do.

Every time I've seen Ian Poulter appearing on screen he's either been on the middle of the fairway lining up his approach, or fist-pumping after knocking in a par putt.

This time it is the former, Poulter knocking a short-iron within a darts oche of the drain.

Meanwhile, further back on the ninth, Justin Rose - dressed identically to Poulter - does pretty much the same.

Image source, Getty Images

We've spent most of the morning talking abut Justin Thomas' cardigan/tie combo. His golf has been decent too.

The snappily-dressed American clips onto the front of the ninth green, leaving with a shout of a birdie.

Watch the moment Welshman Stuart Manley finishes his round with an eagle-birdie to take the clubhouse lead on the first day of The Open. This is his first ever major championship appearance.

Henrik Stenson has a chance to join the leaders on two under but misses his birdie putt on the ninth.

Playing partner Jordan Spieth then steps up calmly and knocks in his birdie in from a similar distance to become the new leader on three under. The American looks in the mood.

13:04 Zach Johnson (US), Jason Day (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa)

13:26 Rickie Fowler (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng)

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

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

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

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

For a full list of all of today’s tee times click here.

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, AFP

Clubhouse leader Stuart Manley shot a round of 70 after an eagle on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th.

"I am pretty tired, it was an early start and I have had flu. I played pretty well but I am delighted with the way I finished.

"I managed my game well and avoided any unnecessary risks but to be honest I didn't play that well. But I made a few putts and stayed patient."

Jordan Spieth looked set to dominate the majors when he won back-to-back titles at the Masters and US Open in 2015.

But he has not reached the same heights since - famously collapsing at Augusta last year - meaning the last nine majors have all been won by a different name.

The Texan is still among the favourites though at Birkdale, holing his second birdie of the day to move within a share of the lead.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Royal Birkdale

England's Chris Wood stood and watched in horror when his American playing partner Mark O'Meara, the Open champion here at Royal Birkdale in 1998, drove the first ball of this year's event out of bounds, to run up an eight.

"It's a tough tee shot at the best of times," said the 29-year-old Ryder Cup player from Long Ashton, Bristol.

"But it's wind off the left, it's raining, it's half past six in the morning. There's nothing you can say. He's one of the nicest blokes I've ever met too. But we've all been there and done that, so I didn't dare say a word."

Despite going to the turn himself in 38, Wood recovered from the jolt of being Sleepless in Southport after a 04:15 alarm call to post a thoroughly decent 71.

O'Meara, by contrast, ran up an 81. "From that moment on," admitted the 60-year-old, with a remarkably cheery grin, "my day was toast".

Image source, PA

Justin Thomas, tie getting looser by the hole, keeps in touch with a par putt on the seventh. That tie will be around his head by the 18th.

The American is still a shot behind clubhouse leader Stuart Manley and Ian Poulter, who keeps churning out these pars.

Five on the bounce for the Englishman, his fistpump seemingly being played on repeat by the television producers.

Alistair Bruce-Ball
Radio 5 live commentator at Royal Birkdale

Tommy Fleetwood is in deep rough and deep trouble on the sixth hole, the same hole where Justin Rose had problems. He is waist deep in the rough.

He hasn't really got his round going yet and hasn't given the fans much to shout about yet to get them going.

'What's happening to Tommy Fleetwood?' I hear you cry. Not good news I'm afraid.

The Southport player follows the path recently trodden by Henrik Stenson - over the crowd gathered around the sixth green and to the left.

Another dropped shot coming...

-2 Manley (after 18), Poulter (13)

-1 Rose (6), Spieth (7), Fitzpatrick (15), Henley (10), Stenson (7), Noren (13)

E Stricker (15), Lowry (5), Koepka (5)

Selected others:

+1 Harrington (4), +2 Danny Willett (16), +4 Dufner (14)

Full leaderboard available here.