-2: D Clarke, J Sugrue (a), R Langasque;

-1: C Hoffman, A Levy, Z Lombard, P Harrington, E Pepperell, A Noren

*(a) Amateur

Image source, PA Media

A rare mistake with a wedge from Phil Mickelson leaves him with a 20-foot birdie putt.

Shane Lowry's second shot hopped into a greenside bunker and he flicks out to inside Mickelson.

Grace is over on the right edge of the green and has a tricky hump to negotiate and the South African gets that horribly wrong and his ball wanders off left and ends up right next to Mickelson's ball marker. At least he'll get a good read.

Lefty is making a right horlicks of this hole though - his birdie putt steams five feet past. Grace learns from the pace, but not the line and ends with a tap-in par.

Lowry too doesn't borrow enough and has to settle for par.

Now then Phil...in she pops. But three shots from 20 yards is more my style of play.

I did tell you Darren Clarke was in trouble and the price is a dropped shot. He took a drop, whisked a ball out of thick rough and rolled up a super putt from off the green to just leave a tap in.

So only one gone and he now co-leads with Romain Langasque and James Sugrue on two under.

Image source, .

It's worth remembering that we could be on the brink of a US sweep.

Tiger Woods won the Masters, Gary Woodland took the US Open and Brooks Koepka took the US PGA.

The US has not claimed all four majors since 1982.

Just saying...

Over on the second hole and Phil Mickelson is out with a long iron for his second on the par-five hole. Just the 253 yards to the front edge of the green and he pings his ball about 250 yards. Decent that.

Branden Grace from similar distance, trying to chase one up but the links fairways are a little lush this morning and his ball doesn't skip through perhaps quite as much as he'd have expected. Still, like Phil, he's just off the green and a chip and putt from a birdie.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Image source, BBC Sport

No need to get out of bed anytime soon if you bagged one of these holiday homes running alongside the second hole.

You can watch through your kitchen window over a bowl of cereal as a few groups pass through and then make a short hop over the road to catch the rest of the action. Winning.

Darren Clarke is stood on a massive grass bank on the seventh. This bank is thick grass by the way, not the thin stuff. His stance will be all over the show here and in every which way, he's in a spot of trouble.

Bubba Watson's yellow ball sits six inches from the cup on the second but he's missed a birdie look so it's par only.

To Padraig Harrington on three. His face contorted as always, a man who looks like he's grinding all day every day on the course. His shoulders briefly drop, a moment of relaxation at last as his ball drops in after a superb putt of around 25ft.

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at Royal Portrush

The rain is stopping and starting but the grey blanket over us tells us that it's going to be back for more at regular intervals today. Of perhaps more concern to the players is the wind that's getting up. The first five holes are downwind but it will get a little more tricky after that.

What conditions do you prefer playing in? Rain or wind? Tell us your stories - we want best and worst conditions and your best and worst scores in them.

And we want pictures to illustrate your tales.

Tweet us #bbcgolf

Frenchman Romain Langasque is in new territory with two early birdies. He's never won on the European Tour and sits at world number 104. He has won the amateur title at The Open though, so he maybe likes these links surroundings.

Such stats matter little as he starts par-birdie-birdie to sit one off leader Darren Clarke.

There's a rainbow flying high.

Pars all round on the opening hole for Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry and Branden Grace.

Phil and Branden fired their wedges a fraction over the back of the green and hit solid two-putts, while Shane missed a 20-footer.

The trio wander off to the par-five second tee. The skies inland are the kind of deep slate grey that tells you heavy rain is incoming.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Image source, PA

Eddie Pepperell shot the lowest score in the final round of The Open last year, and will be hoping to replicate that form to improve on his tie for sixth at Carnoustie.

The Englishman has had a bit of a back problem but there didn’t seem to be any bother with that opening tee shot - skipping it up the fairway beyond Bubba and Cabrera-Bello.

He’s got the brolly out, although I’m not sure it’s warranted in what at the moment is very light drizzle...

“Lovely Bubba,” he tells Watson after the American clips his yellow ball on to within a few feet of the pin.

Eddie Pepperell for birdie on one... he hit a fine iron to within 15ft or so... rolls the putt... pulled it.

Back to our impressive amateur on the sixth.... James Sugrue drains a 30 footer for his second birdie of the day. Well done sir.

Darren Clarke gets the sixth done in par and keeps his lead.

Two gloves on the right hand for Phil Mickelson this morning. There's a spot of rain in the air as Lefty, winner of the 2013 Open Championship, pings his opener down the left-hand side of the fairway.

A huge roar for playing partner Shane Lowry and the Irishman delights those packed round the tee with one straight down the middle. The third player in the group, South Africa's Branden Grace, also finds the short stuff.

Charley Hoffman has a shark embroidered on his back today and he's looking deadly in hitting four iron to within 15ft on a testing par-three sixth. Darren Clarke is walking hand in hand with the golfing Gods as not for the first time today he gets a nice bounce, taking him away from trouble and onto the green.

Darren Clarke tearing it up.

He was bold in hitting driver off the tee on this par four and tickles a chip in close to allow for a short putt and birdie.

Majestic stuff.

Matt Fitzpatrick saves par on one with a put from around 15ft.

Skully: I've taken four days off work for the Open and I'm getting up earlier now than I would do if I was at work! Something's not right.

Yes Skully, we like this, we like this a lot.

Ricky Champ: G Mac ... home favourite, grew up on Royal Portrush. Qualified for it in style. Top five ... maybe even win it.

Now that would be a story Mr Champ. Top five sounds a good shout.

We want your Open tales and predictions on #bbcgolf.

Here we go, time for some Bubba golf.

Our man Mr Watson is on the first tee, yellow ball and all.

Whooaaa, Bubba, what's this? You're a driver man, not an iron guy on the first tee. He takes an iron, the safe play... into the rough.

Eddie Pepperell goes with driver and it's on the fairway while Rafael Cabrera-Bello hits three wood into the first cut.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Punters have been filing into grandstand around the first tee since the gates opened at 6am this morning and there’s a real buzz of excitement amid the fresh coastal air.

They were queuing up outside from 5:15!

Players will have to walk past the Claret Jug as they arrive at the opening tee, a taste of what may be...

The trophy got a quick polish before being safely placed back on its stand and secured underneath a glass cover.

Sparkling.

Darren Clarke is on the fifth and he gets the industrial driver out. He's almost driven to the green on the 374-yard drag. Darren is bang up for today by the looks of things and he will have a short chip left.

Charley Hoffman likes the look of this play and also wields a driver.... smash.... it's on the green. This hole is down wind and and downhill I'm told. Now it all makes sense.

"This is game number six. On the tee from the Republic of Ireland, Padraig Harrington."

The man who won back-to-back Open Championships in 2007 and 2008. He's joined by Matt Fitzpatrick, a man who just seems to get younger every time you see him. He must have a cracking skin regime. Fitzy finds the first cut after a mild pull.

Darren Clarke, at two under, is the man they are chasing, though his playing partner James Sugrue goes close to joining him as his long putt on four just misses.