Leader: -6 Spieth
-4 Kuchar; -3 Poulter, Koepka; -2 Ramsey
Selected: -1 McIlroy, Bland (15)
Projected cut at +5
Blustery wind and rain at Royal Birkdale
Els (-2)
Image source, ReutersOur first big name of the day has arrived on the opening tee. The Big Easy. Ernie Els.
The two-time Open champion is a few shots off the pace and will be hoping to tear out of the blocks to get onto that leaderboard.
Here's what all the players have been waiting for. The day's forecast from BBC Weather's Simon King...
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Daly (+3 after 3)
The skies are a little grey over Birkdale as the early birds try to climb the leaderboard before the wind starts flapping those non-slim fit trouser legs.
Talking of trousers, John Daly is doing his best to brighten things up by wearing another pair of 1970s retro curtains around his legs.
Wild Thing is taming the course in these scoreable conditions, knocking in a birdie on the second to move to three over.
Open debutant Adam Hodkinson plays our game to describe five golf terms - given to him in pictures.
Read MoreBeef Johnston had good reason to be happy yesterday. A one-under 69 carded, a prime slot in BBC Sport's Shots of the Day montage bagged.
Watch how he chipped in on the 6th, plus cameos from the likes of Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, in the video below.
The Open 2017: Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson & Matt Kuchar feature in best shots
Johnston (-1 after 3)
Another hole, another birdie putt for Andrew Johnston.
The Englishman again has a good pop at the hole, again a good feel for the distance, again direction lacking slightly.
Nevertheless, he knocks in for a par-par-par start. As solid as a rock rolling down a hill.
-5 J Spieth (US), B Koepka (US), M Kuchar (US);
-4 P Casey (Eng), C Schwartzel (SA);
-3 I Poulter (Eng), J Thomas (US), R Bland (Eng), A Connelly (Can), C Hoffman (US), R Cabrera-Bello (Spa);
Selected others:2 H Matsuyama (Jpn), M Laird (Sco), R Ramsey (Sco), E Els (SA), B Watson (US), S Manley (Wal);
-1 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), H Stenson (Swe), A Johnston (Eng), J Day (Aus), A Scott (Aus), J Rahm (Spa);
Level P Lawrie (Sco);
+1 D Willett (Eng), J Rose (Eng), R Fowler (US), R McIlroy (NI), D Johnson (US), L Westwood (Eng);
+3 P Harrington (Ire), P Mickelson (US)
Els, Matsuyama (-2)
Image source, Getty ImagesTwo-time champion Ernie Els and world number two Hideki Matsuyama are among 14 men just three shots off the lead after a good day for scoring on the Southport links on Thursday.
They are joined on two under by Stuart Manley, the solitary Welshman in this year's Open, and Scottish pair Martin Laird and Richie Ramsey.
Reigning champion Henrik Stenson is one under after a steady 69.
McIlroy +1 (tee-time 09:47)
Image source, ReutersRory McIlroy, champion in 2014, endured a horrific start to his title charge, falling to five over after six holes, before a remarkable salvage effort brought four birdies on the back nine.
The Northern Irishman has missed the cut at his past three tournaments and the heavy rust was in evidence again yesterday, bogeys coming on all but the second of the first six holes.
It could have been worse - he sunk a 25-foot putt for bogey on the first and made another long one to save par on the seventh.
But after a stern talking-to from caddie JP Fitzpatrick he rallied over the back nine, birdieing the par-five 15th and 17th holes before sinking a 15-foot putt on the last to pick up another shot.
Spieth, Koepka, Kuchar (-5)
Image source, Getty ImagesSo our overnight leader - or should I say leaders - are a trio of Americans. Double major winner Jordan Spieth is top of the pile in a three-way tie with US Open champion Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar.
They are all on five under par, a shot clear of England's Paul Casey and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, with a resurgent Ian Poulter a further shot back.
While Beef and co try to get into the red early doors - the Englishman just lagging up a birdie putt on the second - let's recap what happened yesterday...
Selected tee-times (BST)
06:35 Andrew Johnston, Adam Hadwin (Can), Todd Hamilton (US)
06:46 John Daly (US), Adam Bland (Aus), Connor Syme (a)
07:41 Ernie Els (SA), Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
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
08:47 Kevin Kisner (US), Charley Hoffman (US), David Drysdale
Johnston (-1 after 1)
Image source, PAAndrew Johnston is already out on the course. Who said the R&A doesn't have a sense of humour? They introduced Mr Johnston as the name you might be familiar with: 'Beef'.
Or should that be 'BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEFFFF!!!'
Beef got the big dog out on the first - expect to see more of that today with the wind flying behind the players on the opening tee - lashing his driver into the distance.
The Englishman, who started with a one-under-par 69 yesterday, knocks onto the dancefloor for a birdie chance, sliding his 10-foot(ish) putt just down the near side of the hole.
Morning! You, like me, are clearly intent on catching the worm. Good decision. Some of the Open contenders are already out on the Birkdale course and we'll be keeping you right up to date what is going on.
A familiar face had the honour of teeing off day two...
Why? Because the weather conditions were awful early doors yesterday. Driving rain, howling winds, poor scoring.
But the conditions improved as the morning went on, allowing some good scoring on what ultimately proved to be a benign day on the Merseyside coast.
Today? According to my BBC Weather app (and that's never wrong...), easier conditions for those going out early before gusts of 35-40mph - plus rain showers - turn up around lunchtime...
If you told every member of the 156-man field on Wednesday what the weather conditions would be and asked them to pick, then I'm sure almost all of them (there is always one rogue who has to be contrary) would have chosen a late start on Thursday and an early start today.
An early tee-time on the opening day, a bit of a rest and then a later start on day two?
Or a lie-in on day one and a short turnaround before the alarm clock startles you at silly o'clock?
I'm not sure which most golfers would choose. Personal preference I suppose. And dependent on the weather...
Image source, Getty ImagesEarly birds catch the worm, so they say. Night owls... I'm not sure what they say. Some people like getting up with the birds, some people like a long lie-in and surfacing well after the bin men have gone.
Golfers have to be a bit of both...