Uh oh. Matt Kuchar goes with his driver on the par-four second and knocks into the thick stuff. Strong wrists required here. Still it doesn't help the American, the clumps of grass gnawing at his club face. The ball shoots out left and leaves him with a difficult pitch and putt.

-5 M Kuchar (after 1), J Spieth (14:48 tee-off), B Koepka (15:10)

-4 C Schwartzel (09:47)

-3 P Casey (2), I Poulter (13:04), J Thomas (14:59), R Bland (15:32), A Connelly (7), C Hoffman (08:47), R Cabrera-Bello (10:20);

Selected others: -2 H Matsuyama (15:10), E Els (SA), B Watson (US), S Manley (Wal);

-1 E Els (5) H Stenson (14:48), A Scott (2), J Rahm (09:58)

+1 J Day (3), R Fowler (2), R McIlroy (09:47), D Johnson (09:47), L Westwood (09:58), D Willett (12:31), J Rose (14:59)

+3 S Garcia (3), P Mickelson (10:09), P Harrington (14:37)

Full leaderboard

Not the early charge that Paul Casey wanted to make. The Englishman finds the sandtrap guarding the right of the second green with his approach, flopping out and needing two putts. That drops him two shots behind the leaders.

Playing partner Rickie Fowler wastes a golden opportunity for a birdie, while Adam Scott somehow gets away with a par.

Back on the first, co-leader Matt Kuchar pushes his ball up to the hole, only to get his angles wrong. He goes pin high to right of the can, confidently finishing off for a par.

The spectators get a close look at Jason Day on the third... he's gone left with his tee-shot. Not a bad lie, should be a dink into the green. Ah. He's pushed it the other way into the bunker. The Australian uses the sand to cushion his ball on to the dancefloor, still got work to do to save par.

Rory McIlroy is getting warmed up, and probably giving himself a good talking to, as he prepares to start his second round on one over par.

And watch out for big-hitting, in-form Spanish duo Jon Rahm and Rafael Cabrera-Bello - both will fancy their chances of making a move today.

0947 Rory McIlroy (NI), Dustin Johnson (USA), Charl Schwartzel (SA)

0958 Patrick Reed (USA), Jon Rahm (Spa), Lee Westwood (Eng)

1009 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Phil Mickelson (USA), Marc Leishman (Aus)

1020 Scott Hend (Aus), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa), Bubba Watson (USA)

"Koooooch!" A familiar welcome greets the first of our three Americans tied in the overnight lead.

Matt Kuchar knocks his drive onto the first cut of the fairway, clipping a short iron onto the green.

He likes it... but the ball disappoints him. He's short of the pin, but will still ask his caddy for the short stick on the walk up.

Image source, Reuters

Paul Casey and Rickie Fowler are the latest players to try and make their balls disappear from the back of the first green. Guess what? They can't quite get them up the hill.

Both men knock in for opening fours, as does third wheel Adam Scott. That takes the number of pars on the 448-yard opener this morning to 27 from the 33 players who have passed through.

Yesterday it was the third hardest hole on the course.

Up ahead on 2... Jason Day and Sergio Garcia both lag their birdie putts, settling for a pair of pars. Not giving the putter enough beef has been a common theme this morning.

Only three out of the 30 men out on the course are currently in the red today. And with the rain yet to arrive, and the winds gently increasing, that percentage is only expected to decrease.

And it looks like Paul Casey has treated himself to a snazzy new pair of birthday kicks...

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Familiar faces are turning up in their droves now. England's Paul Casey gets the warmest welcome of this impressive trio - rightly so, seeing as it is his 40th birthday today. Although I'm slightly disappointed there wasn't a quick rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.

Oh dear. Zach Johnson decides to go with a chip and run from the edge of the first green, only to clunk the ball a few feet in front of where he stated. He should have putted.

That's what Jason Day - from a similar position - does, just leaving his putt short to tap in for a par.

Sergio Garcia, the third leg of this major-winning tripod, can't convert his birdie putt either, also settling for a four.

Can Johnson redeem himself? Yes! He absolutely nails his opening putt of the day. Never in doubt.

Three-puttitis is spreading around Birkdale. Ernie Els needs three clumps with the putter on the second, dropping him back to one under, with Andrew Johnston - a few holes ahead - doing the same on seven.

That's two successive bogeys for Beef after that steady start of five successive pars. He's back to one over now.

Image source, PA

Sergio Garcia pushed his tee shot on 1 slightly, leaving with the trickiest approach of this esteemed three-ball. The Spaniard nails it. Ball lands on the front of the green, bouncing gently and leaving within putting distance of an opening birdie.

Zach Johnson intently studies his course planner, has a lengthy chat with his caddie, then chooses his weapon.

That he does wisely, knocking a short iron into the green, his ball - like playing partner Jason Day's - sliding off the deck to the fringe.

Ernie Els with a birdie putt on the second... not enough beef.

Just behind on the first, Jason Day goes downwind out of the first cut of rough. He finds the green but it is hard to make the ball stick as it dribbles off to the back fringe.

The Milk Tray men have arrived on the first tee. Zach Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Jason Day have decided on an all-black dress code today. Probably so that Day doesn't wear those sparkling white high-top shoes he had on yesterday. He looked like he was going for a game of basketball.

All three major winners receive rousing ovations when their names are announced, all three tee off without finding too much trouble on the opening par four.

One man who does want to see a chainsaw is the magnificently-named Toby Tree. The 23-year-old Englishman is trying to cut up - and not be cut up by - Royal Birkdale.

Tree, who shot a level-par 70 yesterday, is climbing the leaderboard after a birdie two on the par three fourth.

Andrew Johnston is tip-toeing gently around Birkdale like an acrobat balancing on a beam. No tricks yet from the bushy-bearded Englishman, no falls either.

Five pars on the bounce for Beef as he looks on course for another on the par-four sixth, a left-to-right dogleg which has been the hardest hole on the course in the past two Opens held here.

Playing partner Adam Hadwin of Canada is finding out why it is a testing hole. He's gone right and ended up in the thick stuff. He needs a chainsaw rather than an iron.

07:52 Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Aaron Baddeley (Aus)

08:03 Zach Johnson (US), Jason Day (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa)

08:14 Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten (Ned), David Lipsky (US)

08:25 Rickie Fowler (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Paul Casey

08:36 Matt Kuchar (US), Richie Ramsey, Ryan Fox (NZ)