Can Shane Lowry capitalise on his excellent tee shot on the par-four fifth? Nope. His eagle attempt clips Branden Grace's ball marker on the green. Still, a birdie moves him to two under and into an eight-way share of the lead.

Grace nudges in to also get into red figures.

Can Phil Mickelson get back to level par? His eagle putt is wayward. And so too is his birdie putt. Another missed opportunity.

Back on the first tee Graeme McDowell gets a hearty roar given he's a local gent. He will take an iron off the tee and it's a great contact but rolls into the first cut. What a cracking group he is in here alongside Henrik Stenson and last year's runner up Xander Schauffele.

Huge roars of 'Beeeeeeffff' can mean only one thing. Andrew Johnston is on the course. We catch up with him on the second hole, staring down a monster eagle putt from the front edge.

His ball races up the ridge six feet short of the pin and rattles the pin before dropping in the hole to huge cheers.

There's that big goofy grin, half-hidden by a wild beard. He only qualified after shooting a career-low 62 at last week's Scottish Open to finish fourth.

He's had his ups and downs in recent years but he's now (albeit early on) in a tie for the lead at The Open.

Image source, PA Media

That ball is rolling at the hole.... Darren Clarke lifts a wedge into the air from the 10th fairway and it goes close, leaving him around 15ft for birdie when it comes to rest.

Alex Noren is going about his business smartly as he tucks away a decent putt for birdie on four.

We now have four leaders - Clarke, Eddie Pepperell, Noren and Padraig Harrington - on two under.

Scratch that, three share the lead as Padraig has just slid a par putt past on five.

Scratch that, four share the lead as the amateur James Sugrue finds a birdie on 10 to get back into a share of front running.

Glad that's sorted.

On the tee... the Postman!

Image source, Reuters

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Lefty has been having a right old natter with Branden Grace between shots. Must be filling him in on that six-day fast where he shed 15lbs before The Open on a blended coffee and water diet. Lost nothing around the calf, mind...

This par-four fifth hole is proving an enticing prospect for the pros today. It's 378 yards. It's downhill. The wind is behind.

Shane Lowry cracks a driver on a perfect line. His ball bounces just short of the green and bounds up on to the green, taking a good look at the hole as it trundles by.

Anything you can do...Branden Grace and Phil Mickelson follow suit.

Remember though, don't get too giddy on the tee, another 10 yards and you're disappearing off the cliff edge to join the police car on the beach.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

The island of Ireland is certainly backing Shane Lowry this week. There was a hearty cheer as he drowned that birdie putt a few moments ago at three and a sizeable crowd is now following this group, clapping him down the fairway to nods of appreciation from the Irishman.

Lowry then nailed a drive at the fifth on to the dance floor and it was almost met with disbelief.

“Go on Shane, what a shot!” remarks one surprised punter.

Whoops. There's a police car stuck on the beach. The back wheel is furiously spinning, digging deeper into the sand. Is that tide coming in, or going out? The water's edge is about five yards from the car, so I guess we'll soon find out.

Back on the second hole and Sergio Garcia has a decent birdie chance.

His tee shot landed on the fairway but rolled, agonisingly slowly into a bunker. A thrash out and a wedge onto the green set up this opportunity. Can the Spaniard take it? Nope. That green is proving tricky with the hole cut atop a ridge and with a left-to-right slope near the cup pulling everything at the moment.

Image source, Reuters

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Royal Portrush

Darren Clarke holes a 10 footer for par at the ninth after leaving his long birdie effort short. Darren is not always renowned as being one of life's optimists but he has cut a serene figure this morning.

Phil Mickelson is struggling with his short game. I know. I never thought I'd type those words, just as you probably never thought you'd read them.

He's short of the fourth green in two and his deft clip over a ridge is too cute, stopping a good 20-feet short. This is a par-four hole though so he's got work to do to stay level. Nope, he's walking after that almost as soon as he hits it. A 4, 3, 5, 5 start for Phil sees him at one over.

Shane Lowry and Branden Grace nail two-putt pars.

Lawrie is up on the tee at 13:48 BST today.

Shout out to Martin for sending us this. Surely that qualifies as a beach and not a bunker?

We're up for you sending any of your favourite golf pics, your predictions and whatever else golf-related to #bbcgolf.

Rory McIlroy is out on the practice putting green. Looks like he needs the warm-up as he scuttles his first attempt miles past the hole! He looks and smiles at caddie Harry Diamond, who lobs a couple more balls on the floor. "Have another go, boss..."

Image source, Getty Images

Portrush head professional Gary McNeill: "A risk and reward hole. The R&A have indicated they are happy to use a forward tee to entice the players to have a crack at the green. There are two bunkers at 280-290 yards which come into play with the tee shot. The green is perched on the cliff top and they could go out of bounds just two or three yards over the back. It will offer plenty of birdies, but the green is interesting with a step in it and runs away at the back."

England's Eddie Pepperell is moving along nicely. He's in the group ahead of Shane Lowry and he's just birdied the fourth to make it a three-way tie for the lead on two under.

With the adrenaline flowing, he smacks a driver off the fifth tee to the front edge of the green. It's a classic risk and reward hole...

Shane Lowry drains his first birdie putt of this year's Open Championship with a well-paced effort on the third. Playing partners Phil Mickelson and Branden Grace walk off with pars.

On to the fourth tee they head. Out of bounds all down the right. Lowry and Grace both head out that way but stay safe. It gives them the best angle into the green.

Mickeslon is going left, into the thick stuff.

On the eighth green, Darren Clarke has an immediate opportunity to get the shot back he lost on the seventh. He's a little firm with his birdie chance from 20 feet though. Par it is.

Charley Hoffman nails a decent two-putt par from the front edge.

James Sugrue drops back to one under. His escape from the bunker skips 10 feet past the hole and his par putt hits the back of the hole and jumps out.

Image source, Reuters

Spain's Sergio Garcia is playing in his 23rd Open Championship. He has two runners-up finishes to show for his efforts.

In the 10 majors he has played since winning the 2017 Masters, he has missed the cut seven times. What will this week bring for the 39-year-old?

He's off down the first with a straightforward par.

Royal Portrush looks greener than a snooker table under new lights but it briefly looks glum to James Sugrue. The amateur pulls an iron into a greenside bunker and that was a very loose swing.

His playing partner Darren Clarke is much better off, playing solidly into the green to leave a birdie look.