Our first group off the tee conclude and Darren Clarke enjoys the applause here in his home country as he cards a level par 71. He was three under at one point and it looked promising but a few tricky spells pulled him back and he ends with five birdies and five bogeys. He raises his hands, the 50-year-old looks very pleased with his work.

The amateur James Sugrue is in for the same mark - 71. He too showed tremendous pockets of play but unless someone comes out and shoots something incredible, it's a good looking round.

Phil Mickelson has missed six cuts in his past 10 tournaments this year and it doesn't look like he's found his form in Northern Ireland yet.

Three bogeys in a row leave the American on +4.

Image source, Reuters

Wow!

It's not a par for Shane Lowry, it's a birdie. Incredible composure from the Irishman as his uphill putt drops into the hole. He's out on his own in front again.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Blimey. Talk about unpredictable conditions. It’s gone from shorts weather, to waterproofs, woolly hats and now back to sunglasses and t-shirt kinda stuff. My old nan did say to pack for every occasion... we’ve even had a rainbow.

Perched by the fifth green, the sun shining along the Causeway Coast and the Giant’s Causeway tucked just inside a bay in the distance, the only thing missing is a fish n chip supper... that’s allowed for brunch, right?

Shane Lowry looked as if he might be leaving that leading group as his second shot landed in the deep rough to the left of the par-five 12th.

He's chipped his third shot into a good position in front of the hole, though, so this could still be a par.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre was briefly out on his own at the top of the leaderboard, but his par putt on the ninth just squeaks left of the hole and it's a bogey.

It was still a very impressive front nine from the 22-year-old, who got an eagle on the fifth.

MacIntyre, Shane Lowry, Alex Noren, Webb Simpson and Romain Langasque are now all on -3.

One of the tweets of the day comes from Robert Turnbull: "I’ve sadly been in that bunker. More time in the sand than David Hasselhoff."

What I like about this tweet is the fact there's a rake in the picture. I mean, surely in a bunker that big you need some kind of vehicle to drive around and rake it properly.

Keep your golfing pictures coming on the hashtag and thanks Robert!

Image source, Robert Turnbull

Rory McIlroy looks a tad perplexed by what's happening to him.

Up ahead on 17 his fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke fizzes a putt past and will drop a shot, taking him back to level.

Clarke arrows his tee shot up 18 and you'd have to say he deserves to be in red numbers today so let's see what's in the locker.

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Francesco Molinari was left with a huge birdie putt on the fourth - a par four - after his second landed very short.

The defending champion can't quite get there with the first putt, but holes it on the second. No fireworks yet, but he's going steady.

Shane Lowry has a 30ft putt at the par-four 11th to stay tied for the lead.

The ball just edges to the right of the hole and that's his first dropped shot of the day.

The American steady operator Kevin Kisner makes eagle on the second, dropping in a lovely mid-range putt to pick up two shots. Played Kev, played.

Is this nerves? Or is Rory trying to give the field a start?

He fluffs a chip on three and will drop another shot at least you'd think.

Tee shot over the green, chip back barely gets over the ridge before him. Remember he holds the course record here of 61!

He may need a few of those rounds after today. Here's his putt from 15ft or so, short. Bogey.

Francesco Molinari had a decent tee shot on the par-four fourth but his second comes up pretty short.

The defending champion is currently three off the lead.

Leader Shane Lowry's faltering slightly on the par-four 11th. He gets onto the green in three shots, but the approach sails over the hole and the Irishman has left himself a lot of work to do for par.

Image source, Getty Images

At least Rory McIlroy is not bottom of the leaderboard.

That dubious honour belongs to England's Thomas Thurloway. The 21-year-old amateur, from Sussex, is at university in Jacksonville, Florida.

It's his first Open appearance and he's had a triple-bogey seven at the fifth and five other bogeys in his 15 holes so far. Eight over for the round and four shots worse off than Rory.

'Calamity Corner' is the name given to hole 16.

Darren Clarke, Charley Hoffman and James Sugrue are all playing in the same group and all make bogey on the 236-yard par three.

A calamity.

Francesco Molinari hopes to join seven others since World War II in successfully defending the title at The Open. The last to do so was Padraig Harrington in 2008.

The defending champion birdied the second, but missed the green on the par-three third.

The Italian rescued a par after a lovely chip on and his usual sturdy putting.

Image source, EPA

Gary Woodland with a superb hack out of the thick stuff to within a foot of the cup, that'll be birdie on two. One of the best shots we've seen today from the US Open champion.

Paul Casey has 12ft left for birdie on the same hole... it breaks left to right... keeps breaking... misses.

Rors, he needs birdie here after a dire start... nope. Races past. Yikes.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Bob MacIntyre is on a roll! Eagle at the fifth, birdie at the new seventh and every time he looks up he sees his name at the top of one of those giant yellow scoreboards.

One Scottish journalist told me he pulled out of a practice round with Frankie Molinari earlier in the week because he was too nervous to play alongside the defending champion...