:00:11. > :00:35.Good morning, it is the first day of the 146th Open.
:00:36. > :01:01.Hello, welcome to Royal Birkdale for the 146 Open Championship.
:01:02. > :01:05.Defending champion Henrik Stenson arriving at Royal Birkdale in style.
:01:06. > :01:11.He has enjoyed his year with the Claret Jug, he has even taken a jet
:01:12. > :01:17.skiing, but now it is time for the competition to start again. This is
:01:18. > :01:21.the 18th green at Royal Birkdale, on Sunday night in this very spot
:01:22. > :01:27.somebody's life will change forever. They will be part of the long, rich
:01:28. > :01:28.history of this great Championship. There are plenty here this week to
:01:29. > :02:21.fancy their chances. The world's top ten are all here,
:02:22. > :02:25.2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson still top of the bile. Could Hideki
:02:26. > :02:30.Matsuyama it come the first Asian winner? Despite his recent
:02:31. > :02:37.struggles, Rory McIlroy is still Europe's number one. Henrik Stenson
:02:38. > :02:43.returns to defend his title as champion golfer of the year. Nick
:02:44. > :02:48.Faldo remains the last Englishman to lift the Claret Jug with his 1992
:02:49. > :02:51.victory, but this week there is one Englishman in particular who is
:02:52. > :02:57.hoping that former amateur success around Royal Birkdale will inspire
:02:58. > :03:02.him to the greatest prize of all, Justin Rose. He burst onto the
:03:03. > :03:08.scenes in 1998, from around this spot that he chipped in for a birdie
:03:09. > :03:13.on the 72nd hole and a tie for fourth place, his best finish in the
:03:14. > :03:15.open, but the Olympic champion and US Open winner has more silver in
:03:16. > :03:27.his sights. Good luck, Justin, have a good one.
:03:28. > :03:32.Over the bridge for the walk on to the first tee. Nothing quite like
:03:33. > :03:38.it. You are always going to be a bit nervous. The weather today has
:03:39. > :03:43.brightened up a bit, it had been chucking down, the wind is fairly
:03:44. > :03:48.fresh, it will blow up at around 18 miles an hour. It will brighten up,
:03:49. > :03:51.so we are all set for a really nice day on the links.
:03:52. > :03:55.Hoping for another nice week on the links is Henrik Stenson, he gets
:03:56. > :04:10.under way at 9:47am. Louis Oosthuizen came so close to a
:04:11. > :04:15.second victory two years ago. Justin Rose is one of the home favourites,
:04:16. > :04:21.Justin Thomas is one of America's rising stars. Brooks Koepka is the
:04:22. > :04:27.US Open champion, having pipped Hideki Matsuyama, who tied for
:04:28. > :04:36.second. They will have plenty following them, with the inform
:04:37. > :04:42.local lad Tommy Fleetwood. Zach Johnson goes out with the former
:04:43. > :04:45.number one Jason Day. It has been a struggle of late for Rory McIlroy,
:04:46. > :04:51.but what better place to show the kind of form we know is possible?
:04:52. > :04:59.Dustin Johnson is world number one, and Charl Schwartzel is much
:05:00. > :05:01.fancied. Amongst the early starters was Ian Poulter, enjoying a career
:05:02. > :05:09.revival. This would drop in on the second to
:05:10. > :05:13.put him 1-under par. Another birdie opportunity on the fourth, a similar
:05:14. > :05:20.length, and a similar outcome, 2-under par. He would drop a shot at
:05:21. > :05:26.the par-3 7th. Amateur hobby plant gave the 150 travelling supporters
:05:27. > :05:30.plenty to cheer about early on, his second to the first good enough for
:05:31. > :05:35.an opening birdie. Henrik Stenson getting his Championship under way
:05:36. > :05:41.on the first, hoping to replicate Padraig Harrington's 2008 victory
:05:42. > :05:45.here, he was the last man to win back-to-back open Championships.
:05:46. > :05:57.Straight down the middle for Henrik Stenson. Just two players under par,
:05:58. > :06:08.and they are both Englishman, and Stuart Manley is in his first Open,
:06:09. > :06:14.going along nicely. Let's get out on the course with your commentary
:06:15. > :06:21.team. Thank you.
:06:22. > :06:41.A good tee shot. Well done. Justin Rose's second shot to the first. The
:06:42. > :06:55.dangerous par-4. A nice easy rhythm. He likes it. What an opening two
:06:56. > :07:02.shots, to Rapier irons. Superb. Jordan Spieth found a very poor
:07:03. > :07:09.light with a wild tee shot. He has missed the trouble and he has got a
:07:10. > :07:10.fantastic result from not a very inviting lie. That has ended up very
:07:11. > :07:35.good. Another half a dozen of those, you
:07:36. > :07:41.will be in clover. Ideal tee shot. People try to cut it into the right
:07:42. > :07:42.to left breeze. He does it delightfully, to the delight of the
:07:43. > :08:07.crowd. Right in the heart of the cup.
:08:08. > :08:08.Always nice to hear the cheer, particularly if you are a home
:08:09. > :08:15.player. When he gets his eye in, there has
:08:16. > :08:35.been none better. A bit of moisture on the fringe, it
:08:36. > :09:20.has caught him out. A little down the slope. Fantastic.
:09:21. > :09:32.He was runner-up here last time the Open was here. Lovely.
:09:33. > :09:54.It is a tough day on the links, especially early on.
:09:55. > :10:09.A good drive. A misdirected second. Cost a shot.
:10:10. > :10:26.This one adjusting. Look at that. Magic. Nice outfit.
:10:27. > :10:36.He plays plenty of golf, from Thailand.
:10:37. > :10:48.Not many birdies at the 13th today. After two perfect shots, Hideki
:10:49. > :10:52.Matsuyama. The world ranked number two, one of the best in the
:10:53. > :11:04.business. Like Justin Rose, he starts with a birdie.
:11:05. > :11:24.Colin tie. How wonderfully old-fashioned. In she goes.
:11:25. > :11:32.Hacked out from the long rough after an errant tee shot. Lovely,
:11:33. > :11:42.beautifully struck. He will save his part. He loves a big occasion. Nice
:11:43. > :11:49.outfit. He plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour, from India. Very good.
:11:50. > :12:05.We are seeing a few more birdies in the last hour or so.
:12:06. > :12:15.What a beauty. Every shot has come out of the middle of the club so far
:12:16. > :12:25.for Justin Rose. He must have hit an iron for safety, accuracy.
:12:26. > :12:32.A few more birdies coming at the 1st. He has another. If he puts
:12:33. > :12:40.nicely, he has got whole game. This is interesting. Across the
:12:41. > :12:59.little hump, gathering speed. This can sometimes happen, you can
:13:00. > :13:07.get a nice lie, this will shoot forward with the rescue club. Having
:13:08. > :13:26.to take this length of club at the 11th today.
:13:27. > :13:42.Look at the crowd, anticipating. Oh, yes. Dream start the Justin Rose. He
:13:43. > :13:43.used to share a house with Ian Poulter, now they share the lead in
:13:44. > :14:03.the Open. He is a bit of a live wire. Five
:14:04. > :14:14.amateurs in the field this week. Alfie is the European amateur
:14:15. > :14:23.champion. A narrow stance. Tied at the top with Ian Poulter. Very early
:14:24. > :14:34.days, I hasten to add. He tugged it well left. Could have been worse.
:14:35. > :14:43.Here is a tester for a man with a very good short game. This is
:14:44. > :14:47.tricky. I hope he has not gone back into his splash mark. He had to be
:14:48. > :14:59.so precise with that. That is a beautiful touch. He got
:15:00. > :15:05.away with it a bit with the tee shot. Turned it over, went through
:15:06. > :15:16.the air, but he should escape with his par.
:15:17. > :15:32.Should be a green light pin from this angle, and it is. Tucked behind
:15:33. > :15:47.the right bunker. The first is yielding more birdies
:15:48. > :17:10.than it did two or three hours ago. He had to go over a little rich, the
:17:11. > :17:19.flag got on the other side of it. Had it off work to save his par. The
:17:20. > :17:30.flag defended well, surrounded by the bunkers. A small finger of
:17:31. > :17:31.green. Took a skip on. That was very unlucky, just did not get the
:17:32. > :17:49.cheque. He could have easily missed that on
:17:50. > :17:58.the left. He scrambles out a par after an errant tee shot. The sun is
:17:59. > :18:05.out and Henrik Stenson is ready. A great iron player, Maureen.
:18:06. > :18:13.Absolutely superb. That was a good call! Absolutely superb he is, one
:18:14. > :18:17.of the very best! Thank you, Henrik Stenson, goodbye! He has been
:18:18. > :18:21.blowing hot and cold with the irons this season. That is one he will
:18:22. > :18:36.want to forget. He pops it in. It is usually a
:18:37. > :18:45.birdie opportunity, but Justin Rose escaping with a four.
:18:46. > :18:50.Just a hybrid of the tee, went a huge way down here. A seven or
:18:51. > :19:02.8-iron? The wind firmly at the tales on this
:19:03. > :19:10.13th, and he has another birdie chance.
:19:11. > :19:20.He holed out from the sand at the last with an eagle. It is great.
:19:21. > :19:24.Stuart Manley leaps to the top of the leaderboard alongside Ian
:19:25. > :19:31.Poulter and Justin Rose, in his first Open, at the age of 38. What a
:19:32. > :19:43.way to finish. Thank you, I am in for some lunch now.
:19:44. > :20:11.Stuart Manley was one of the very early starters.
:20:12. > :20:17.This is your first Open, you have creamed about this for a long time,
:20:18. > :20:23.and you are the clubhouse leader. It has not sunk in. First major, was
:20:24. > :20:30.very nervous on the first tee, I am just delighted to shoot under par.
:20:31. > :20:35.You said nerves, but what were you thinking, after waiting all this
:20:36. > :20:41.time? I was try to go through my pre-shot, I had a few keys on my
:20:42. > :20:47.swing, I got onto the tee, the rain is lashing down, my hands are
:20:48. > :20:48.shaking, the umbrellas are going everywhere, it was pretty tough, I
:20:49. > :21:00.was just happy to make contact! A wonderful 68. The little corner is
:21:01. > :21:02.the fifth green and the sixth tee. The sixth is interesting. Ken was
:21:03. > :21:17.down there earlier. It is one of the longer par fours,
:21:18. > :21:23.499 yards, and it is a demanding tee shot. The dogleg to the right quite
:21:24. > :21:29.hard. The bunker on the left does not come into play, but the next one
:21:30. > :21:34.on sometimes does. It is the nasty pot that sits over there. The one
:21:35. > :21:42.down the right side, 275 yards to reach it. It has a massive piglet.
:21:43. > :21:49.Let's look at the tactics. This is the widest point of the fairway, you
:21:50. > :21:53.hated 265, but from there you still have to have good yards to the front
:21:54. > :21:56.of the green, or you take on the bunkers, which is awkward, because
:21:57. > :22:02.you are coming across the corner of the dogleg. A demanding tee shot,
:22:03. > :22:07.but if you get it in here, you are going in with a middle I am. This
:22:08. > :22:11.bunker is the killer. It is one of the deeper ones on the golf course.
:22:12. > :22:16.You do not just have to carry the bunker, because beyond it, there is
:22:17. > :22:22.some really nasty, vengeful rough. This tee shot is one of the ones
:22:23. > :22:30.that asks the question, do I take a gamble or do I lay back and go in
:22:31. > :22:41.with a big iron for the second shot? A driver for Justin Rose.
:22:42. > :22:53.Way, way right, that is horrible stuff down there. No one has seen
:22:54. > :22:59.it, that is the problem. The most he -- that might be a lost ball. Henrik
:23:00. > :23:32.Stenson did well to get it to here. A fairly flat green. Beautifully
:23:33. > :23:39.read. Moving along nicely. There has been a drop for Justin Rose, playing
:23:40. > :23:45.his third shot now. A long way back now.
:23:46. > :23:54.What a shot, though. To the heart of the green, still with a chance of
:23:55. > :24:03.saving par. It was not a lost ball, just a penalty drop. Seems to have
:24:04. > :24:05.lost his caddy, though. There we are, fine, save yourself a caddy
:24:06. > :24:26.payment as well. Looks very inviting. Downwind. Just
:24:27. > :24:50.a nice, smooth toss up in the air. Bingo.
:24:51. > :24:56.It will be a bogey. After his tee shot, that is not a bad five on this
:24:57. > :25:09.ninth hole. He was in all sorts of trouble way
:25:10. > :25:16.left of the green, he has had another one since. But he cosies
:25:17. > :25:18.that up, he will get out with only dropping one shot. That is not a bad
:25:19. > :25:34.result. Justin Rose keeping an eye on this.
:25:35. > :25:48.It goes in, a lovely two. Go there and do likewise.
:25:49. > :25:54.One of the band of friendly young French golfers making a mark. And
:25:55. > :26:15.why not, indeed. Well played. A super long drive, 350
:26:16. > :26:32.yards, a simple pitch, and there you have it.
:26:33. > :26:38.It just catches the back edge, what a result of that is. Joint fourth
:26:39. > :26:58.position at the moment. Downwind, no trouble getting there.
:26:59. > :27:05.It could be good. Swinging a little bit more.
:27:06. > :27:40.Consecutive birdies move the Frenchman of the leaderboard. Just
:27:41. > :27:52.the one bogey, on the sixth. What a good start to the back nine.
:27:53. > :28:31.Look at the wind whipping across, you must aim it to the left, as we
:28:32. > :28:36.look back. All of the trouble is on the left. Play to the right of the
:28:37. > :28:40.big scoreboard and hope for the best. He has gone well out. It needs
:28:41. > :29:01.to come in a bit. A fine result. Well done, a good three. Very nicely
:29:02. > :29:22.done. Co-leader. New leader. A lot of crowds out on
:29:23. > :29:52.because, enjoying Jordan Spieth. Thing is hotting up as the
:29:53. > :29:57.temperature rises. Fitzpatrick at the 17th, third shot, not far from
:29:58. > :30:13.the flag. Got to chop this one up gently and hope it lands... That for
:30:14. > :30:19.birdie four. Now, Stricker, can he match Fitzpatrick's? He can, he can,
:30:20. > :30:30.he can. He has. Even better. Two glorious bunker shots. Front left
:30:31. > :30:38.pin at the 6th. Ian Poulter's second. You see how tight the flag
:30:39. > :30:46.is to the front end of the green. Two marvellous shots. Brooks Koepka
:30:47. > :30:52.the US Open champion, enormous tee shot, thrown onto the green. A crowd
:30:53. > :30:58.pleaser. A little bit of chubby on it. Fitzpatrick, having played a
:30:59. > :31:10.beautiful shot from the sand, this is to go 1-under. Well done. Four
:31:11. > :31:19.from 69. All downwind. Should be a pushover. Spieth, after that
:31:20. > :31:28.magnificent tee shot pitching over Little hillock. Just see the top of
:31:29. > :31:34.the flag. He didn't like it. As he tweaked it? He's tweaked it
:31:35. > :31:44.horribly. For a class player, that's a stinker. That was a mistake.
:31:45. > :31:53.This looks all right here, is going to remove a bit of the green
:31:54. > :31:59.keeper's wonderful fairway, up she comes. It's missed the crowd on the
:32:00. > :32:01.left by 40 yards. Ian Poulter, to make a birdie out of the hole that's
:32:02. > :32:21.playing the hardest, the 16th. Just gave it a bit of a dart, didn't
:32:22. > :32:25.he? This is where Spieth's second shot ended up. Well pulled to the
:32:26. > :32:32.left. Pictures it up. Would you believe it? Almost cheating, isn't
:32:33. > :32:43.it, you play one absolute stinker and then you play one that equals
:32:44. > :32:51.the record. Just put down four. Fitzpatrick, third shot at 18. Down
:32:52. > :33:01.in two for 69. Couldn't nudge it in, could he? She goes, will it run? No,
:33:02. > :33:08.it won't. Not very good. This gives you a good few of the third shot of
:33:09. > :33:11.Rose. Reeva into the tenth green. It. Quickly. Make sure he carries it
:33:12. > :33:28.all the way back. Fitzpatrick. Now will this be his
:33:29. > :33:33.final one? It is. It was a struggle, four at the last, round of 69 for
:33:34. > :33:42.the young fella from Sheffield. And a very nice start to this year's
:33:43. > :33:47.Championship. Matsuyama has missed a few chances on this nine. Thought it
:33:48. > :33:55.would slip by, right again, last one finds the bottom of the cup. He's a
:33:56. > :34:05.ball of fun, isn't he? Using the claw grip. Rose, this is to save par
:34:06. > :34:14.at ten. If fraction too hard. I thought it would have turned from
:34:15. > :34:21.there. Ian Poulter now from this very well used bunker so far today.
:34:22. > :34:31.Just got to flip it up... And hope for the best. It's in! Good four.
:34:32. > :34:53.Oh, Poults. Rose, to drop just one. Poulter's got this little nudge into
:34:54. > :35:00.tie the lead. This is to get to 3-under and join Spieth. And he's
:35:01. > :35:08.done it. Unlucky with his bunker shot. Down there enjoying the crowd.
:35:09. > :35:11.He was in contention all last week at the Scottish Open and Ian Poulter
:35:12. > :35:15.is right in amongst it at Royal Birkdale, fourth birdie of the day
:35:16. > :35:21.for a share of the lead. He came close here around these links into
:35:22. > :35:26.Gaza eight. Could 2017 be the year for Ian Poulter?
:35:27. > :35:36.Looks like there are good crowds out there today. Russell down there in
:35:37. > :35:44.the sand. It's getting pretty well, he'll have that for a birdie. Jordan
:35:45. > :35:48.Spieth heading to the 12 hole. It's cut off from the rest of the course.
:35:49. > :35:55.Ken had a look at these magical par-3.
:35:56. > :36:03.The 12 par-3, 180 three yards. This little tee is set in the dunes, very
:36:04. > :36:06.difficult to pick the breeze. It feels like it in this direction.
:36:07. > :36:12.Have a look at these couple of flags here. This one suggests the wind is
:36:13. > :36:17.straight into your face. If you look at the one I put up the front of the
:36:18. > :36:21.tee, it says it's definitely from left to right. If you look at the
:36:22. > :36:26.one on the green, it also blowing in a different direction, so picking
:36:27. > :36:29.your club on this 12 tee is not easy. On the tee the wind often
:36:30. > :36:32.feels it's blowing in a different direction, you've got to be so
:36:33. > :36:36.careful, one or two players will stand on the top of the mountain and
:36:37. > :36:41.throw grass, sneaky and you need experience to know it.
:36:42. > :36:50.Small putting surface around this green. All pars so far. See if he
:36:51. > :37:02.can avoid those bunkers Ken is talking about. So well guarded. And
:37:03. > :37:15.he does. Russell Henley out of the sand. This is for four. He gets it.
:37:16. > :37:25.Hennelly goes 2-under par. Alongside Manley and Alex Noren. The 18th.
:37:26. > :37:30.Alex Noren. The couple under, this is to join the leaders. A bit
:37:31. > :37:38.optimistic but you never know. Very nicely done.
:37:39. > :37:50.Ian Poulter lying nicely in the sand. Did it at 17, can he do it at
:37:51. > :38:03.18, you never know? Delightful little shot. Should make his par.
:38:04. > :38:15.See if he can find a birdie. None so far today. All pars. Is he? He has.
:38:16. > :38:24.There we are. Took a dozen holes to get going. The players champion into
:38:25. > :38:33.the red. So to finish on the 18th, Ian Poulter, this for 67. A little
:38:34. > :38:40.longer than I thought, this one. He's rolling those in well now. Ian
:38:41. > :38:44.Poulter has his Mojo back, bit of confidence, the lowest opening-round
:38:45. > :38:48.in an Open Championship for Ian Poulter. 67 today. Tied at the top
:38:49. > :39:00.with Jordan Spieth. What a start Ian Poulter. Such good memories for him,
:39:01. > :39:11.of course. Here in 2008. He won it, then Harrington came in. Alex
:39:12. > :39:21.Noren... Winner of the PGA Championship at Wentworth. Another
:39:22. > :39:25.neat, tidy round for him. 68. Good-looking leaderboard. Henrik
:39:26. > :39:27.Stenson the defending champion, what chance of him repeating what
:39:28. > :39:33.Harrington did in 2008 and defending his champion? Ian Poulter out in
:39:34. > :39:37.front alongside Jordan Spieth. Talking now to Richard.
:39:38. > :39:44.Welcome back to Birkdale. Nice to be here. First round, to go out there
:39:45. > :39:50.and post a red number on the board, on a good, strong golf course, is
:39:51. > :39:54.always great. It feels even better that you have to go through
:39:55. > :40:00.qualifying to get here. Links golf is great fun. This golf course is a
:40:01. > :40:05.test in the wind. You know, we're going to have even more of a test
:40:06. > :40:13.tomorrow when we've got the wind and rain. Jordan Spieth here at 13,
:40:14. > :40:22.wayward tee shot, the right. He's got a free drop. Somebody might have
:40:23. > :40:29.stood on it. Great shot. What a shot it is. A little bit fortunate it
:40:30. > :40:36.drops left in a pretty good position. That was certainly a wide.
:40:37. > :40:49.Now this is one of five amateurs in the field. From Glamorgan Fife.
:40:50. > :41:02.'S father, Stuart. Justin Rose, just slipped off the back of the 12th. On
:41:03. > :41:28.the right line. Go, go. Just par. can Brooks Koepka get 2-under? You
:41:29. > :41:40.can do more writing middle, the US Open winner. Two birdies and no
:41:41. > :41:44.dropped shots. Under the first tee strolls Sergio Garcia, it really is
:41:45. > :41:48.a stroll, a leisurely pace. Is there in plenty of time, the Masters
:41:49. > :42:03.champion not too far away from his opening tee shot. 12 hole. Koepka.
:42:04. > :42:11.Little bit of wind from the right. Oh dear, again, bit of fortune for
:42:12. > :42:25.Koepka. We seen so many players down there. Back to 13. Jordan Spieth,
:42:26. > :42:29.wayward tee shot. Three dropped. Not managing to convert it to birdie.
:42:30. > :42:39.That one has trundled on a little bit. We've seen this putt before. Up
:42:40. > :42:47.the hill, left to right. Easy to leave it shy. But not kept go. And
:42:48. > :42:53.he joined the leaders at the top. This is his first outing since he
:42:54. > :42:57.won his US Open. Jordan Spieth protected from the wind in this
:42:58. > :43:04.alcove back here. They know it's here, from right to left. So well
:43:05. > :43:18.protected by bunkers, this green. Right at it. The American challenge
:43:19. > :43:24.is strong. Andrew beef Johnson. Side of the green. A side of beef. --
:43:25. > :43:40.Andrew Beef Johnston. Back to one. He went so well last
:43:41. > :43:45.year. At Royal Troon. Popular man with the crowds. James Hahn, the
:43:46. > :43:52.American. Korean born. He's got the chance to go 2-under. Which he
:43:53. > :44:03.takes. Now alongside Alex Noren and Manley. The golf ball has snuggled
:44:04. > :44:06.down here for Rose. Plenty of room at the screen to allow it to
:44:07. > :44:13.release. A flat surface. The ball trundled up there. Beautifully
:44:14. > :44:25.controlled by Justin Rose. Super shot. Jordan Spieth to assume the
:44:26. > :44:30.outright lead. It's rolling truly, it's rolling well. He goes top of
:44:31. > :44:45.the leaderboard. Two wins already this year. Job well done. Ominous
:44:46. > :44:54.signs. Jordan Spieth is informed. -- ominous signs for the rest. The
:44:55. > :45:04.stroke looked good, just needed a little more pace on that line.
:45:05. > :45:10.Garcia, what a result this would be if he could salvage four. It's not
:45:11. > :45:14.to be. A very scruffy opening hole from the Masters champion. He has
:45:15. > :45:22.ten top tens in the open, he loves this Championship. Not the ideal
:45:23. > :45:36.start. Second shot for Brooks Koepka 113. Koepka hit the ball a huge
:45:37. > :45:42.distance. This coming up nicely. Beautiful shot from Koepka, just
:45:43. > :45:54.about a tap in a three for the US Open champion. Three birdies in a
:45:55. > :46:02.row. Eurgh to the 14th. A bit of breeze from the right. Dangerous
:46:03. > :46:13.bunker left of the pin. That's going to be awkward. It's going to be
:46:14. > :46:20.horrible. Stunning approach he has set up a third consecutive birdie,
:46:21. > :46:24.possibly for Brooks Koepka. Up to the top of the leaderboard alongside
:46:25. > :46:32.Jordan Spieth. And ominous presence. Brooks Koepka alongside Jordan
:46:33. > :46:38.Spieth at 4-under par. Brooks Koepka missed last year at Royal Troon with
:46:39. > :46:44.an ankle injury. They are out in front. The Americans tied at the
:46:45. > :46:48.top, Ian Poulter with 67. Spieth second to this par-5. Back into the
:46:49. > :47:19.breeze. Here is this nasty lie for Justin
:47:20. > :47:25.Rose. Get up! Hang on, and on. It might come back all the way. His tee
:47:26. > :47:28.shot was on the down slope at the back of the bunker. There wasn't
:47:29. > :47:40.room to get himself in there behind the ball. Stenson stayed shot of the
:47:41. > :47:41.bunker. This is one that many a player would be quivering at the
:47:42. > :48:04.knees at. That should be a birdie for Stenson.
:48:05. > :48:08.Thank you, golfing gods. The gathering properties of these
:48:09. > :48:23.bunkers are legendary. Third shot for Rose. It's doing its best. But
:48:24. > :48:30.that will be for bogey. Sullivan. Young Andrew for a birdie. Opening
:48:31. > :48:42.hole. A good second. Not bad. A good start.
:48:43. > :48:51.Big putt for Rose, that. What a four, what a four indeed. Two out of
:48:52. > :49:01.the bunker and he will breathe a sigh of relief. Spieth at the 15th.
:49:02. > :49:03.Up she comes, and it's going to be... Thought it was going to be
:49:04. > :49:27.better than that. Stenson. Tidying up. The defending
:49:28. > :49:36.champion going along pretty well. Brian Harman. Just enough leg.
:49:37. > :49:45.Winner this year on the PGA Tour. Gets him into the red. Spieth,
:49:46. > :49:58.birdie putt, and it's... It wiggles past. A safe par. The good round
:49:59. > :50:04.continues. Now, let's join Bailey, she sounds nice friends.
:50:05. > :50:09.You're following Jordan Spieth around as they walk off the green,
:50:10. > :50:14.no birdie from Spieth this time, but a pretty flawless card so far. It
:50:15. > :50:20.has been he's made a couple of good par says, wonderful birdie putts.
:50:21. > :50:24.Spieth has been near flawless on the greens. A little wayward off the
:50:25. > :50:31.tee, so you'll have to tighten it up, but right now going well. Spot
:50:32. > :50:38.of bother for Brooks Koepka here on 14.
:50:39. > :50:48.Pinball wizard. It was a poor tee shot to finish there, and a very
:50:49. > :51:00.difficult approach shot. He'll get relief from that and not be too bad.
:51:01. > :51:06.Well, this group or leaked their tee shots out to the right at 16. Very
:51:07. > :51:19.much in the lap of the gods as to what sort of live a draw. The flag
:51:20. > :51:25.only six yards on. Very steep front up to this green. That is gobbled up
:51:26. > :51:36.by one of the cavernous bunkers. Capital. When he won at Erin Hills,
:51:37. > :51:41.he holed miles of putts. His continuing where he left off, that's
:51:42. > :51:57.the most unlikely three. Poor tee shot, difficult second, great putt,
:51:58. > :52:09.thank you very much. The Big Easy. Still easy, still making it look
:52:10. > :52:13.easy. Welcome our friend's at it again, using a 3-wood or the like
:52:14. > :52:25.from off the green. He obviously likes it. And why not? Why not
:52:26. > :52:38.indeed? Third time he's used it, third time lucky. After a wayward
:52:39. > :52:44.tee shot wide, Spieth has this to hang on to shelve the lead with
:52:45. > :52:53.Keko. Turning, turning, turning a beautiful stuff, what a great par-4
:52:54. > :52:55.save that was out of the sand. -- Spieth has this to share the lead
:52:56. > :53:07.with Koepka. James Hahn's tiptoeing up this
:53:08. > :53:14.leaderboard lies and quietly. And those tip toes are turning into big,
:53:15. > :53:20.heavy footsteps. Up to 3-under. Very nice card today.
:53:21. > :53:39.5th hole, birdie putt. Birdie got, well done, Ernie.
:53:40. > :53:49.Little bit awkward now for Charley Hoffman. Might have been a lot
:53:50. > :53:57.worse. A lot, lot... No, stop it! Stop it! Poor old Mark O'Meara took
:53:58. > :54:05.eight on the opening hole, Charley just missed a fairway and got it in
:54:06. > :54:17.for two. He walks off with two. Worth another look, dreadful drive.
:54:18. > :54:22.Dreadful with a small D. Just visualising this putt up a little
:54:23. > :54:29.tear. He's put it pretty well today, Peter. He certainly has. Up the
:54:30. > :54:43.hill, over the top, down and running to the right. Rickie Fowler up the
:54:44. > :54:47.slope at four. He has got the game to win the Open Championship. A good
:54:48. > :54:54.shotmaker, beautiful wedge player and chipper. Had a run at the US
:54:55. > :55:02.Open in the last major. Took a lot of time over that one. 5-under par
:55:03. > :55:07.is the outright lead with one hole left to play, Jordan Spieth, look at
:55:08. > :55:20.that for a card. Pretty chilly and wet early doors.
:55:21. > :55:30.Koepka for par at 16. Getting on for five feet. Shot gone. Massive drive
:55:31. > :55:36.for Justin Thomas, Miles down here, almost a short iron second to this
:55:37. > :55:42.17th. He's a big hitter. Par-5. Does he like it? It's coming in from a
:55:43. > :55:48.mighty height. What a couple of shots. Down the breeze, came down so
:55:49. > :55:50.soft. You'll have that for eagle. The ball goes a long way when he
:55:51. > :56:03.hits it. Spieth, probably an 8-iron, that
:56:04. > :56:27.sort of thing. Can he finish with three? He's happy. Why not?
:56:28. > :56:36.Justin Thomas after that magnificent second. Just tickle its down the
:56:37. > :56:54.left-hand side. Come on, come on. Well done. Eagle three.
:56:55. > :57:11.Come on, Spieth. That green looked beautiful. You missed it. It wasn't
:57:12. > :57:21.to be. So only 65 he leads the way. So far on this opening day. A very
:57:22. > :57:29.pretty card. Good, considering he's missed one or two fairways. 65. It
:57:30. > :57:34.is par 70 here. 65 for Jordan Spieth. Outstanding to start two
:57:35. > :57:37.shots clear of Ian Poulter. Spieth said it's the easiest major to win
:57:38. > :57:45.because the weather can rule out half the field. Let's get his
:57:46. > :57:51.thoughts. 65 to start things off, how good a round was that for you?
:57:52. > :57:55.Very. We've been informed, I feel like the last event we had was a
:57:56. > :58:00.win, so that was a lot of confidence. Three weeks off, I
:58:01. > :58:04.normally start slow coming back from a few weeks off. Maybe surprised at
:58:05. > :58:11.being able to start off this open extremely strong and not have to
:58:12. > :58:14.grind too much the next few. At this course, at this open, the Open
:58:15. > :58:21.Championship, specifically this golf course, and no conditions change
:58:22. > :58:25.this entire leaderboard. So it's a really good start, I now it's coming
:58:26. > :58:31.tomorrow. I know even par would be as good, better of a poor than
:58:32. > :58:42.today. Important to get in the red numbers today. David Lipski trying
:58:43. > :58:47.to get 2-under. Big swinging curvy putt. She goes. A bonus for this
:58:48. > :59:01.American who bases himself on the European Tour. The familiar stance
:59:02. > :59:11.of Matt Kuchar. And a familiar result, kicking it out of the hole.
:59:12. > :59:31.Huge drive from Brooks Koepka on 17. Good balance. It looked like a
:59:32. > :59:39.9-iron. Down into the bunker. Thorbjorn Olesen. A lot of red
:59:40. > :59:51.figures starting to appear as the sun comes out. He's got the kind of
:59:52. > :59:59.game that could prosper here. Keko knocked it in the sand. Up and down
:00:00. > :00:03.for birdie. Beautiful. Yes! There is legal for Brooks Koepka. Leaps back
:00:04. > :00:07.to the top of the board alongside Jordan Spieth. 17 throws up another
:00:08. > :00:09.eagle. Brooks Koepka this time from the sand to the hole, to the top of
:00:10. > :00:19.the board. Look how open the blade is, he has
:00:20. > :00:30.to get it up so quickly. Onto the down slope. Perfect.
:00:31. > :00:42.It has been an untidy back nine. That was tentative. That is a sorry
:00:43. > :00:47.ending to today's play, which started so brightly, 71. The damage
:00:48. > :01:03.done on the back nine. His good form of this year
:01:04. > :01:06.continues. Three victories under his belt already. That is a very nice
:01:07. > :01:49.opening round. Another gorgeous shot. I think we
:01:50. > :01:52.consider him to be home in 32. He will be tapping in for along with
:01:53. > :02:07.Jordan Spieth. The Americans are going so well
:02:08. > :02:13.here. Three birdies in his first five.
:02:14. > :02:50.Jordan Spieth had a 65, Brooks Koepka matches him. What a finish.
:02:51. > :02:53.The US Open champion off to a great start. Watching that, Ken Brown,
:02:54. > :03:03.alongside Haley Barbour. What a round, Brooks Koepka is right
:03:04. > :03:11.up there at the top of the leaderboard. It has just got a bit
:03:12. > :03:16.cold, I have put my jacket on. For Brooks Koepka, his first competitive
:03:17. > :03:20.round since the US Open victory, very impressive. He comes here with
:03:21. > :03:27.a lot of confidence, he won the US Open so well. The key moment was the
:03:28. > :03:32.14th, after he got into bother. That kept him going. It has been
:03:33. > :03:38.impressive. With his power, he has done a mighty good job. He is up
:03:39. > :03:47.there with Jordan Spieth, going for his first Open. Another impressive
:03:48. > :03:51.round for him in tricky conditions. Yes, the earlier you started, the
:03:52. > :03:55.trachea it was. He did not drop a stroke, it was virtually flawless.
:03:56. > :04:02.He missed one or two fairways, but very impressive. As they head inside
:04:03. > :04:06.after their round, there is somebody just heading out, there will be a
:04:07. > :04:12.lot of interest, because it is Rory McIlroy. He has had his troubles,
:04:13. > :04:17.what do you make of his chances this week? He always has a great chance,
:04:18. > :04:23.he has won four Majors, he likes this Championship, he has the a game
:04:24. > :04:30.when he is in form. He needs a bit of momentum. He is a confidence
:04:31. > :04:34.player, get a couple of putts, then see what happens, because if he
:04:35. > :04:41.starts playing well, the crowd will get behind him. The start is vital
:04:42. > :04:43.for him. The sun is coming out for him, he is the world number four and
:04:44. > :05:06.he is going for a fifth major title. What to expect from Rory McIlroy?
:05:07. > :05:12.Coming in off the back of a couple of missed cuts, the Irish Open and
:05:13. > :05:23.the Scottish Open. An iron on the first.
:05:24. > :05:41.Is that left as well? It is OK. Got away with it a little bit. The
:05:42. > :05:51.American challenge is strong here, and so it is proving again, so far.
:05:52. > :05:58.How pleased I due to have 65 to start this year? It felt pretty
:05:59. > :06:04.good, it is nice to get back playing and it was nice today. I felt like I
:06:05. > :06:10.hit it pretty solid. I just missed one short putt, but other than that
:06:11. > :06:17.I am in good shape. It feels good to be back.
:06:18. > :06:28.A beautiful shot. He hits the ball a mile, but a feathery touch. He will
:06:29. > :06:33.secure his par. He has taken a drop off the edge of the path, he has
:06:34. > :06:43.been pretty lucky. It was a wild flower of a second shot. Some silky
:06:44. > :06:48.skills needed. I say pretty lucky, it could have been so much worse,
:06:49. > :06:55.the tree and the thick stuff, but it is a messy start.
:06:56. > :07:08.A big tee shot for Jason Day at the 8th. Flicked with one of his middle
:07:09. > :07:17.wages. How did that stay out? What a shot. Just magical.
:07:18. > :07:24.Out with the putter from this grassy hollow. Three different levels of
:07:25. > :07:33.grass to come through for his first putt of the day.
:07:34. > :07:38.Four played and yet to reach the putting surface. Such a neat action,
:07:39. > :07:48.Paul Casey. Flying through the blue sky. It was
:07:49. > :08:14.not that first thing this morning. My goodness. What a five. I wonder
:08:15. > :08:19.if we will see that as being a pivotal point at the end of the
:08:20. > :08:27.week. A good cheerful Phil Mickelson, as he comes on to the
:08:28. > :08:32.first tee. It was a calming bogey for Rory McIlroy on the first. So
:08:33. > :08:35.important, he is such a momentum player. The wind is straight into
:08:36. > :08:49.you at the 2nd. It is a crackerjack. Lovely, left
:08:50. > :08:58.side of the fairway. That may be the springboard he needed. The
:08:59. > :09:07.distinctive style of Matt Kuchar. It is good for pace and four line. He
:09:08. > :09:12.is known as Mr consistency, he has more top tens than anybody. Maybe it
:09:13. > :09:31.is time for him to step up to the podium at the big one.
:09:32. > :09:46.Very nice. Just hitting the safety side of the trouble. Paul Casey has
:09:47. > :09:48.a bit more break than you might think, from right to left. It is
:09:49. > :10:06.tricky to get just right. A birdie at the 1st, fourth and
:10:07. > :10:08.seventh, if you are a home player and the crowd get behind you, it is
:10:09. > :10:22.a real lift. My goodness. They are going in from
:10:23. > :10:32.everywhere, what a great round of 68. Brandt Snedeker could not make
:10:33. > :10:42.it, so he was a late entry. Rory McIlroy got one not much shorter
:10:43. > :10:49.than this at the opening hole. A bit off his right hand side, not too
:10:50. > :10:50.much break. He was going to take nearly all of the break out. Good
:10:51. > :11:13.speed, though. Making the game look easy. The
:11:14. > :11:15.afternoon starters just getting under way. The fast one has been
:11:16. > :11:32.Matt Kuchar. A wonderful round from Ian Poulter,
:11:33. > :11:47.in some of the worst of the weather. Martin Laird, the Scotsman.
:11:48. > :11:56.He has hit it 175 yards and six inches.
:11:57. > :12:05.It is rolling nicely. It is enough, just has enough energy to find the
:12:06. > :12:19.bottom of the cup. What a finish for the Englishman. Dinner will taste
:12:20. > :12:26.good. Rory McIlroy is a fabulous cheaper but he is favouring his putt
:12:27. > :12:34.from around the edges. You can see he is in quite a swale. Not easy.
:12:35. > :12:52.Quite a lofted club of the Matt Kuchar. He is dialled then. A super
:12:53. > :13:13.iron shot. 4-under already. His woes will continue. I love these
:13:14. > :13:24.trousers, I cannot wait to get some of these. I will never get them on!
:13:25. > :13:32.He looks a ducky, absolutely sweet. You can look like anything when you
:13:33. > :13:40.play like that. He is always smiling, Matt Kuchar. He does not
:13:41. > :13:43.win many, but he makes about 15 million a year, so he is not doing
:13:44. > :13:49.too badly, he just plods along quietly. The weather folks said the
:13:50. > :13:53.weather would improve, they were right, and so has the scoring
:13:54. > :13:56.improved. It was rather dull at around 11am, 12pm, but suddenly we
:13:57. > :14:10.have this. 70 is a little falls for par, it is
:14:11. > :14:22.making it a bit too difficult, but it is very good scoring.
:14:23. > :14:34.He finishes in a blaze of glory. Another 67. Temperatures rising, so
:14:35. > :14:40.is the golf, everything is looking rosy. Come on, Rory McIlroy, find
:14:41. > :14:52.the green, for goodness' sake. Good gracious me. The world is
:14:53. > :16:10.coming to an end. None of these great players hit the
:16:11. > :16:18.screen with their tee shots. Rory McIlroy is the furthest away, 12
:16:19. > :16:37.feet or so. Another one gone. This is a horrendous start.
:16:38. > :16:57.Austin Connelly going well. Nicely done. First time playing in the
:16:58. > :17:05.Open. Not the right angle to get at this flag. He garages it out. A
:17:06. > :17:06.difficult line in from here, he has done well to get it on the green.
:17:07. > :17:45.That is OK. It is good. A gentle dab over the
:17:46. > :17:50.top and down to the hole, and easy three. This looks like Charley
:17:51. > :17:58.Hoffman. What is going on? Five holes played,
:17:59. > :18:37.4-over par. What a start he had to his round
:18:38. > :18:46.with the hold second shot at the 1st.
:18:47. > :18:53.Having skipped out of the thickish rough, this is a hard par-4. Where
:18:54. > :19:07.are you going? He keeps leaving himself very tricky
:19:08. > :19:19.little chips and pictures back again.
:19:20. > :20:00.Very nicely done. A good start. Winner of the Scottish Open last
:20:01. > :20:33.week. Here we go again. He said, have a bet on me, I am
:20:34. > :20:43.20-1. They will be trying to get their money back, I would think.
:20:44. > :20:54.He seemed to have adapted to the new rules not too badly.
:20:55. > :20:58.He is playing more golf in Europe, David Lipsky, a good player, good to
:20:59. > :21:30.watch. A super shot. Beautiful. Unforced error, we call back. Rory
:21:31. > :21:32.McIlroy and company heading to the seventh, and Ken was down there,
:21:33. > :21:40.carrying out his forensic investigations.
:21:41. > :21:49.One of my favourite part of these is number seven. Elevated tee. A small
:21:50. > :21:53.green, with seven bunkers around it, including this one with an island in
:21:54. > :21:58.it, which is awkward. Because it is an elevated tee, the ball can plug
:21:59. > :22:03.in it. Let's have a look at HQ bunkers. This on the left is one of
:22:04. > :22:10.the deeper ones. It is quite interesting.
:22:11. > :22:20.My Lord! Perhaps he sleeps their! He is off! Let's have a look at the
:22:21. > :22:27.bunker on the other side, the smallest one on the green. Cheers!
:22:28. > :22:32.Did you have a good night's sleep? Chuck a couple of balls in there. If
:22:33. > :22:40.you get to the bottom, you get a half decent lie, but if not, you can
:22:41. > :22:44.be in a tricky spot. Splash it out. Lovely sand here. You cannot teach
:22:45. > :22:52.that! The short term macro that Ken loves
:22:53. > :23:07.so much. They have not hit many greens. You
:23:08. > :23:12.are not supposed to criticise them, but there we are, it's the truth. A
:23:13. > :23:20.good position of the six T. That looks pretty good. A beautiful
:23:21. > :23:54.shot. He did beautifully at the 5th with a
:23:55. > :24:07.similar shot. Could not do much with that.
:24:08. > :24:42.One goes at the par-3. Stellar names in this group, but far from starry
:24:43. > :25:06.scoring. He was not sure about it. But it is
:25:07. > :25:17.good to see him playing well, very popular.
:25:18. > :25:30.A double bogey on the 16th. The youngster, 20 years old, presenting
:25:31. > :25:41.Canada, brought up in Texas. What a great first round in the Open. The
:25:42. > :26:01.former champion. Well done, Paul Lawrie.
:26:02. > :26:05.James Hahn gotten when Brandt Snedeker had to withdraw, and taking
:26:06. > :26:19.full advantage. Andrew Johnstone had a great
:26:20. > :26:21.tournament last year. He was found in a bunker by Ken Brown earlier in
:26:22. > :26:30.the week! How much fun did you have? Not much,
:26:31. > :26:36.that was tough, I did not play very well. I struggled, I did not strike
:26:37. > :26:41.the ball well, I was trying to figure it out. It is not much, but
:26:42. > :26:46.it has been like that the last few weeks. I battled well, I was proud
:26:47. > :26:52.how I battled. I got up and down a few times. Can I ask you about six?
:26:53. > :27:05.I liked the look of it, I knew it was a wedge, sometimes you just
:27:06. > :27:10.know. I went, I like this. I thought, be aggressive, and it has
:27:11. > :27:19.gone in. Recently you ran into Ken on the course in a bunker at the
:27:20. > :27:26.7th. He found me! What were you doing? I don't really know, I was
:27:27. > :27:31.having a little nap! It was a long day, I thought I would have a nap in
:27:32. > :27:44.the bunker, he woke me up! Surreal as always, with both of you on the
:27:45. > :27:49.course! Enjoy the moment, thank you! And off he goes for a bit of food
:27:50. > :28:00.and a snooze in a water hazard or something. Lovely to see a bit of
:28:01. > :28:07.form from Ernie Els. A rare one from the middle of the fairway for the
:28:08. > :28:08.Rory McIlroy. The elevated green. The pain just over the left-hand
:28:09. > :28:54.bunker. No birdie. It is going to be a front
:28:55. > :28:59.94 Rory McIlroy of 39. The part is 34, not good.
:29:00. > :29:07.The weather is heating up, but four Rory McIlroy there is not a lot of
:29:08. > :29:12.heat on the course. You have been walking around with Rory McIlroy, he
:29:13. > :29:17.is just walking past, what is the body language? Normally if he has a
:29:18. > :29:22.bounce he is playing well, but he looks uncomfortable, he does not
:29:23. > :29:26.look confident and he looks under pressure. It has been a frustrating
:29:27. > :29:31.season for him, he picked up an injury at the start of the year, and
:29:32. > :29:35.he has to get used to new clubs and a new ball. He has been busy,
:29:36. > :29:41.getting married, but all of that together, he is having problems. He
:29:42. > :29:45.loves this Championship, you expect it to be like this, despite what has
:29:46. > :29:50.happened? Know, and nor did he, he sounded confident before the
:29:51. > :29:56.tournament, despite missing three cuts in four, Pico -- he thought he
:29:57. > :30:00.could piece it all together, but maybe he was trained to convince
:30:01. > :30:05.himself. His career has been full of highs and lows, he might be able to
:30:06. > :30:11.turn it around, but he is running out of time this season. He has not
:30:12. > :30:18.got his first start, he heads onto the tenth at 5-over par.
:30:19. > :30:32.What a start, fifth in the recent US Open. And three, two, three.
:30:33. > :30:49.He has to take advantage of this magical drive.
:30:50. > :30:56.Like I bag of potatoes, right next to the flag. It is superb, how he
:30:57. > :31:08.goes through the ball, crisp, tight, beautiful. It all looks so simple.
:31:09. > :31:13.Charley Hoffman has been to the barbers since I last saw him, had
:31:14. > :31:19.some of the flowing locks chopped off. It has not done his golf any
:31:20. > :31:29.harm, going along very nicely indeed.
:31:30. > :31:41.The putt for Martin Laird, this is for 67.
:31:42. > :31:50.Just a little pacey. So disappointing to drop a shot at the
:31:51. > :31:59.last. You might well have taken 68 if you'd offered it to him at the
:32:00. > :32:06.start of the round. Now, could we be about to witness a rare thing at the
:32:07. > :32:22.moment? A McIlroy birdie. Glorious tee shot, glorious second. Yes. In
:32:23. > :32:31.she goes. Kevin Na. Tipped it onto the edge of the seventh green. In
:32:32. > :32:44.she pops, couple of twos on the card. Hoffman. The posture may look
:32:45. > :32:56.a little ungainly, but that was deadly. 4-under, and what good play.
:32:57. > :33:01.Ernie. This is a very difficult little Swale at the back of the
:33:02. > :33:07.green. Quite a steep slope in front of him. In she comes. Has he hit it?
:33:08. > :33:13.It's going to leave him a tricky one. 3-under. Let's have a wander
:33:14. > :33:21.down the leaderboard. Early starters, morning starters, Spieth
:33:22. > :33:31.and Brooks Koepka round in 65. Very good together seven, he was out at
:33:32. > :33:36.eight. Ernie Els has a putt at the last. To join them on 67. But it's a
:33:37. > :33:51.nasty little five footer. Come on, Ernie. Oh no. So it's a dropped shot
:33:52. > :34:06.at the last. 68 for Ernie Els. Very fine play in there indeed. Another
:34:07. > :34:15.good tee shot from Casey. Great balance. As he eyes up the short
:34:16. > :34:24.iron. Delightful shot. He's been pretty much whole height with every
:34:25. > :34:34.approach shot he's played today. A good of there. Little bit of
:34:35. > :34:40.semi-rough to contend with. Hoffman... Third shot at 15. Nicely
:34:41. > :34:58.done. KC. After that lovely shot into this
:34:59. > :35:11.16th green. Yes, well holed, very talented player. He's had his ups
:35:12. > :35:17.and downs. Over the last 12 months. Very aggressive hit for the day. Cut
:35:18. > :35:52.it into the breeze. Not bad at all. Charley Hoffman. This is to join the
:35:53. > :35:55.leaders at 5-under. Birdies at 14 and 15, 5-under par. This is to hole
:35:56. > :36:09.his second shot to the first. All eyes on Jason Day. Outside
:36:10. > :36:15.chance for birdie at the last. She's trying, she's trying. Tried hard
:36:16. > :36:32.enough. What a way to finish the Jason Day. This is how his card
:36:33. > :36:33.looks. 69. Very satisfying. First look at Richie Ramsay's 16th, short
:36:34. > :37:08.of the green. An unlikely one. Sergio, 4-over. Easy. 73. Getting
:37:09. > :37:12.towards the end of the first day of this year's Championship Kang
:37:13. > :37:17.players in with 65. A couple more might equal or better that. 36
:37:18. > :37:23.players in all have beaten the par of 70.
:37:24. > :37:29.KC at 17. There will be whooping and hollering if this goes in. This is
:37:30. > :37:45.for three. A very nice birdie four. Schwarzel to this 14th. Two yards
:37:46. > :38:02.off the tee. Dancing around the flag. Westwood at
:38:03. > :38:48.12. Hoffman now. For par. Needs to
:38:49. > :39:02.hurry, hurry, hurry. Shot. . Back to four. Schwarzel for birdie at the
:39:03. > :39:14.13th. Very good second shot. Well done.
:39:15. > :39:27.Well done, Lee, deserved two after that perfectly struck iron. Two
:39:28. > :39:32.birdies, two bogeys. Little train ready to travel along the coast. If
:39:33. > :39:36.every good service runs up and down this line the shoreline.
:39:37. > :39:39.Incidentally, couple of days ago I had a telephone call from Mary and
:39:40. > :39:42.Peter Thompson from their home in Melbourne, sadly Peter isn't that
:39:43. > :39:47.well and will be making the trip this year but he wanted to send his
:39:48. > :39:52.greetings to all his many friends who are still around, living in this
:39:53. > :39:58.area. This is where he won his first Championship, first of five, 19 54.
:39:59. > :40:01.A lot of people are thinking of you, Peter, get well soon.
:40:02. > :40:09.He's had a couple of chances over the last three or four holes, to
:40:10. > :40:11.claw back some of those drop shots. Certainly doesn't want to drop any
:40:12. > :40:49.more between here and the clubhouse. Leishman involved in the play of a
:40:50. > :41:00.few years ago for the Championship. Look at this! Certainly but the
:41:01. > :41:16.indicator one. Birdie putt at the 17th. Out wide. Only par. Only par.
:41:17. > :41:22.Everyone must be very excited about a possible 62. Matt Kuchar coming
:41:23. > :41:26.under 18, he didn't birdie the last but he's had five already today in
:41:27. > :41:31.an incredible round of 5-under par, his joint leader at the moment. He's
:41:32. > :41:34.on the 18th about to play down towards the clubhouse. Remember,
:41:35. > :41:39.five of the last six open champions all played the Scottish Open. Matt
:41:40. > :41:51.Kuchar finished fourth at Dundonald last week. Paul Casey finishing off.
:41:52. > :41:57.Well played, well played indeed. 31, 35, 66.
:41:58. > :42:05.He was third at the opening 2010. Here in 2017, his third place
:42:06. > :42:08.alongside Charley Hoffman, a round of 66, just behind Spieth, Kuchar
:42:09. > :42:17.and Koepka. Of the in your round, how pleased
:42:18. > :42:21.are you? Really happy, great to be playing an Open Championship at
:42:22. > :42:26.Royal Birkdale. We've talked in the states, good results over there. So
:42:27. > :42:31.happy to be back at home, proper open on the real golf course. Really
:42:32. > :42:35.cracking stuff, so excited... We know weather is coming, so nice to
:42:36. > :42:50.make hay while the sun is shining. 14th green, McIlroy. Birdie putt.
:42:51. > :42:56.Hoping for a grandstand finish. Three or four birdies. A chance
:42:57. > :43:13.missed at the 14th. Coffman for his par on the 17th.
:43:14. > :43:26.Birdie on 16:17, and a very, very good round stumbling the close.
:43:27. > :43:42.Kuchar, can he finish off? With a par-4? He can. 65 shots. 29, 36. It
:43:43. > :43:51.certainly was a tale of two halves for Matt Kuchar today. Started off
:43:52. > :44:00.well, birdie came on the second. After opening with par, a few early
:44:01. > :44:04.cries of Dubai. He hasn't had a great relationship with the Open
:44:05. > :44:10.Championship, just one top ten. He came to the par-3 4th. A few players
:44:11. > :44:14.having struggled with the bunker on the right-hand in particular.
:44:15. > :44:21.Gathering in some tee shots. But Matt Kuchar knocked it in for a
:44:22. > :44:26.birdie. To the fifth, short par-4, once again the putter working well,
:44:27. > :44:38.once again a smile from Matt Kuchar as he went 3-under. At the 6th
:44:39. > :44:41.different par-4, 300 and 90 yards. From greater distance, but same
:44:42. > :44:53.result. Matt Kuchar rolling them in from everywhere. Four birdies in
:44:54. > :45:04.five holes. To the ninth. Second shot. Knocked in just about stone
:45:05. > :45:10.dead. He would tap in for birdie in 29 to the turn. 29 going out, talk
:45:11. > :45:15.us through your starter this year's open. Amazing start, something I
:45:16. > :45:18.didn't expect, I was sitting at home watching the guys play in the
:45:19. > :45:22.morning, anything under par looks like a good score. As the day went
:45:23. > :45:27.on, certainly got nicer and nicer. We had our share of some tough
:45:28. > :45:33.conditions early, but to go out in 29 is not expected. Easier to do 29
:45:34. > :45:46.with only par 34 on the front. Only 5-under. A great way to start the
:45:47. > :45:54.British Open. G-Mac Chris Read, two fours, what a great finish that
:45:55. > :46:11.would be. Good shot. Par-5, two putts for a birdie. Jon Rahm at the
:46:12. > :46:22.14th. Long putt for two. He's got it, he got it.
:46:23. > :46:38.When you have two par-5s on the last four holes there is always hope and
:46:39. > :46:45.Rory needs that hope. Good effort. Very good effort. Still lots of
:46:46. > :47:06.support for the Irishman. Second birdie of the day goes on the
:47:07. > :47:15.card from McIlroy. This is Kevin Na's fourth shot on the 13th. He's
:47:16. > :47:34.in all sorts of problems of the tee here.
:47:35. > :47:46.Bubba Watson at 14. He and Harrington seemed to go to the same
:47:47. > :47:56.School of dancing nowadays. That was a beauty. Kevin Na has had huge
:47:57. > :48:08.troubles here on 13. This is for five. It's not going to go. Double
:48:09. > :48:21.bogey for Kevin Na. Bubba Watson, yellow green ball. In for two. Four
:48:22. > :48:41.birdies today. A little off the right for Jon Rahm.
:48:42. > :48:45.Well holed. Kevin Na teeing up on the left-hand side of this area,
:48:46. > :49:03.trying to move this in from right to left. He is on the march. Write the
:49:04. > :49:08.flag. Good shot from Kevin Na. Cabrera-Bello third to the par-5. A
:49:09. > :49:16.little clip sound, little bit of clap. A lovely shot. He should knock
:49:17. > :49:27.that in. 3-under weights. A man in form. I always love watching Kevin
:49:28. > :49:32.Na. Generally a pretty good pot. He has a chance for two at 14 permits
:49:33. > :49:43.on his way... Is got it, he's only gone and holed it. Well done, Kevin.
:49:44. > :49:50.2-under. Coming out the rough, the ball sitting OK, but bound to come
:49:51. > :50:01.out a little hot. Has he got a bit of luck? His second. Beautiful...
:50:02. > :50:04.But that eagle three. On the right ledge of the flag he's cut. What he
:50:05. > :50:13.could do with a 3-3 finish. Little chip over the bank, trying to
:50:14. > :50:57.tease it down the slope. Schwarzel. McIlroy has birdied the 11th and
:50:58. > :51:01.15th. Cutting down the spine, this could change his day. He knows he
:51:02. > :51:07.hasn't hit it, you can tell by the early walk. How frustrating is that?
:51:08. > :51:09.Right online. It's a birdie. He must feel he's climbing Everest, but he's
:51:10. > :51:29.back to 2-over. Cabrera-Bello has been driving it
:51:30. > :51:47.well all day. Lovely shot. Setting up a great chance of birdie.
:51:48. > :51:54.Schwarzel, home hole. A little twirl of the club. That's why. Gentle.
:51:55. > :52:01.That's just lovely. What a great shot in there. Landed it on the down
:52:02. > :52:08.slope, got a bit of check. Great chance of a closing birdie. Flag
:52:09. > :52:16.tucked right side. I suspect Rory will be going straight at it. Well,
:52:17. > :52:40.that gives him a chance. Cabrera-Bello on 16. He birdied the
:52:41. > :52:57.last. That gets into 4-under. Classy play from the Spaniard. Can Rory
:52:58. > :53:02.find something here at the last? Keep your line. A difficult day is
:53:03. > :53:08.just got a little bit easier for the Irishman. Somehow he's managed to
:53:09. > :53:15.manufacture 71 out of the most atrocious start. Killer front nine
:53:16. > :53:25.of 39. 32 coming back. Hope springs eternal. 32 ties with the best back
:53:26. > :53:48.nine, Thomas Pieters. A game of two halves. Charl Schwartzel. Left of
:53:49. > :53:52.centre. 66 for Charl Schwartzel. Equal with Cabrera-Bello on the
:53:53. > :53:57.course and Paul Casey in the clubhouse. The last time the Open
:53:58. > :54:01.Championship at a 3-way tie for the lead was at Royal Birkdale in 2008.
:54:02. > :54:07.None of them lifted the carriage of that year. If Spieth, Kuchar or
:54:08. > :54:11.macro manage it this time around... Paul Casey well placed after his
:54:12. > :54:17.opening 66. Rafael Cabrera-Bello, the Scottish Open champion, 3-under.
:54:18. > :54:21.And world number two Hideki Matsuyama just short of that.
:54:22. > :54:26.Selected others to take a look at... Richie Ramsay 2-under par. A host of
:54:27. > :54:30.major champions in Bubba Watson and defending champion Henrik Stenson.
:54:31. > :54:33.Further back, Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman won over par
:54:34. > :54:39.today. Let's hear what he had to say after his round. Five of going out,
:54:40. > :54:45.4-under coming back, how proud are you of what you did? Proud of myself
:54:46. > :54:50.for hanging in. I needed to stay as positive as I could. I wasn't very
:54:51. > :54:55.positive. My caddy was a big help today. Trying to keep me as positive
:54:56. > :54:58.as possible out there, trying to remind me I've won this before,
:54:59. > :55:04.don't feel any pressure, just play your game and you'll be OK. The last
:55:05. > :55:11.12 holes that's what I did and thankfully I'm still in the
:55:12. > :55:14.tournament. Been down on yourself? Yeah, doubted myself. Really
:55:15. > :55:17.disheartened, because again it's so hard when you see some good stuff in
:55:18. > :55:22.practice and it doesn't quite happen on the course for you. The last 12
:55:23. > :55:27.holes it came together a little bit better for me. And I can bring those
:55:28. > :55:31.feelings from those last 12 holes today into the rest of the week. We
:55:32. > :55:35.spoken about you being one of a handful of players around the world
:55:36. > :55:39.who when you engage the one J you forgot you can do something really
:55:40. > :55:44.spectacular. Do you feel you're close to that or is there any way
:55:45. > :55:48.you can tell how close you are? And pretty close, you know, judging by
:55:49. > :55:52.the last 12 holes I played, and pretty close. As I said, I felt
:55:53. > :55:57.after six I was out of the tournament and looking like another
:55:58. > :56:01.weekend off, but after playing the next 12 I feel I'm right back in the
:56:02. > :56:05.tournament, it shows how fickle golf can be. I feel I found zoning out
:56:06. > :56:08.there on the last 12 and I have to try to go with it for the rest of
:56:09. > :56:15.the week. Thank you so much for talking to us. Ken Brown has joined
:56:16. > :56:19.me in the studio. Day of two halves for McIlroy. Did use the enough in
:56:20. > :56:24.the back nine to suggest there is more to come over this weekend? His
:56:25. > :56:28.caddy must take great credit for talking to him to get his game under
:56:29. > :56:33.control because after six holes he was 5-over par and I think in his
:56:34. > :56:37.mind he was almost writing the tournament off but he's come right
:56:38. > :56:42.back, in 32, birdies at 17 and 18 were imported. 71, still in there.
:56:43. > :56:47.Padraig Harrington won here in 2008 starting with a first-round 74, so
:56:48. > :56:52.McIlroy not out of it. There were better fortunes for a couple of
:56:53. > :56:54.players. If picked out some of the best. Jordan Spieth it's a
:56:55. > :56:58.marvellous irons, this was the second, in a spot of bother. This
:56:59. > :57:04.was an absolute beauty. Coming out of the rough, landed a little
:57:05. > :57:07.upslope and trickled past for three. Couple under after three. Played a
:57:08. > :57:15.delightful round, no bogeys. Very impressive it was. Next on the list
:57:16. > :57:20.of great shots was this one from Ian Poulter, he was out in the worst of
:57:21. > :57:25.the weather early on, this was a little touch, nearly equalled 17. 67
:57:26. > :57:28.for him. He looked to be back at almost its very best, particularly
:57:29. > :57:33.on the greens. Brooks Koepka also found this bunker. He had a day
:57:34. > :57:37.where his short game was just unbelievable. This was a special
:57:38. > :57:43.one, like Poulter, this finding the cup. US Open champion, lot of
:57:44. > :57:47.confidence. That was a real dandy. The shot of the day for me was
:57:48. > :57:53.Charley Hoffman at the 1st. His tee shot going out of bounds. He came up
:57:54. > :57:58.with this beauty, right into the heart of the cup for an eagle two
:57:59. > :58:03.start. Brilliant. Incredible stuff around the course today. A beautiful
:58:04. > :58:08.evening at Birkdale, blue skies, but the forecast for tomorrow is wet and
:58:09. > :58:13.windy. It'll be fun for us watching but for the players, how much does
:58:14. > :58:18.experience come into play? When it's wet and windy, particularly wet and
:58:19. > :58:22.windy, very tricky, articulately for the caddies, it'll be an interesting
:58:23. > :58:25.day. You might get luck with the draw but it could be a day that
:58:26. > :58:29.takes you into it, or you could blow it tomorrow if it's really
:58:30. > :58:33.difficult. Could be an interesting day tomorrow and the BBC has you
:58:34. > :58:39.covered. We've got highlights again tomorrow. Five live are out on the
:58:40. > :58:47.cause or they would live commentary on five live live text commentary
:58:48. > :58:51.along with in play videos. The trio of investment live in perfect
:58:52. > :58:56.position to pounds tomorrow, but America leads the way after day one.
:58:57. > :59:02.Crutcher, Koepka and Spieth in pole position. Who can tame the links of
:59:03. > :59:06.Royal Birkdale Wendy wind and rain rolls in. Tomorrow could be a
:59:07. > :59:10.pivotal day at this year's Open Championship. Goodbye for now.