The Open: Shane Lowry on course aiming to bounce back from penalty controversy as Bryson DeChambeau responds to nightmare start
Gareth Hanna
Going backwards to go forwards
Lowry is indeed heading out on to the 12th for a penalty drop on the fairway, so he'll be pitching on in four from around 75 yards in an attempt to save par.
4 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Shane reloads on 2
Both Lowry and Rahm got good drives away on the second, although the same couldn't be said of Shane's second as he whips it (and a provisional) left into the crowd while Rahm is safely off the front of the par five green in two.
The good news is they have found Shane's first ball / the bad news is it's in the bush as he weighs up his options - potentially heading back onto the 12th hole for a drop in line with the pin.
15 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Sandy start for Rahm
He has to punch out of the fairway bunker but then spins his approach off the soft first green and into the front trap. A super save from there uses the slope in the middle of the green as a backstop and pulls it back to the hole for a tap-in bogey save to go +1.
Shane's approach stays up that slope and he does well to convert a two-putt par from there to stay E.
17 minutes ago
Stens-on one today
After almost acing the par-three sixth, Henrik Stenson has maintained that momentum and become the first player to break onto the big scoreboard in the media centre with our first eagle of the day at the par-five seventh, hitting a wonderful approach shot to eight feet and rolling it in to get to -3 and four-under thru seven on the day!
22 minutes ago
Bryson rolling
The Scientist has picked up a third birdie in his opening five holes after driving the par-four fifth and two-putting for the three, and he's already up into red figures at -1.
In fact, he's eight-under for his last 22 holes, and that includes slapping his opening tee shot out of bounds this morning, so he could even be as low as -3 were it not for that...
25 minutes ago
Packed crowd for Shane
The first hole is now completely surrounded by supporters as Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm begin their third rounds at level par. Jon applauded the 2019 champion onto the tee.
Shane almost hits it OB but it's a few yards inside the white line. Rahm goes into the bunker on the right.
29 minutes ago
Shane time!
Lowry is standing on the first tee ahead of his 11:30am tee time alongside Spain's Jon Rahm. Is this the marquee grouping that will post a low round today? We're about to find out.
33 minutes ago
Top 'teer
Nineteen clubs have provided volunteers for this year's Open at Royal Portrush - if you're chatting to one, thank them for the work they're doing because it is fantastic!
The Open: Here are the 19 golf clubs that have provided volunteers to help Major run smoothly
The Open is a well-oiled machine every time it rolls into town but, even so, without the dedicated work of the volunteers that give up their time to marshal or score or operate the scoreboards around the course, what is taking place at Royal Portrush wouldn't be possible this week.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
34 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Five-time Open champion Tom Watson LOVES Portrush
He has told Open radio: 'It's one of my favourite golf courses. It's all you want. It gives you some opportunities on the front nine and it's tough coming in.
'My favourite hole is 16. If I had to go and sit somewhere to watch on the course, it would be there. Death short and right, and no bargain left with so you have to hit a shot. It's all you want.'
36 minutes ago
Stens-one (nearly!)
So nearly an ace for Henrik Stenson as he takes aim on the par-three sixth, corks one right into the middle of the green and it bounces hard before cambering off the slope to the back left of the putting surface, angling towards the hole... and finishing just a foot shy of the first hole-in-one of the week!
Bright start from the Swede, who also birdied the par-five second and is two-under for the day, -1 for the tournament.
Gareth Hanna
Birdie, birdie Bryson
If we ignore that snapped first drive off the tee by Bryson, it's three birdies in a row, including the one with his second ball on one. He took advantage of the par five then stitched it at the third to climb to level par. He'd have been right in this tournament but for a nightmare opening day when he didn't make a single birdie.
51 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
First man on the course in the red
The low man on the course is Corey Conners in the first group out, with two birdies in a blemish-free opening seven holes. He's up to -1 for the week.
Edit: Make that -3 through eight as he makes three at the par-four eighth for -2 overall. Eight shots back.
54 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Shane Lowry has arrived
Having had a chance to sleep on his two-shot penalty, for which he felt understandably aggrieved last night, the Offaly man is on the practice ground as the clock ticks towards his 11.30am tee-time.
57 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Matsuyama on a run after double bogey
After a tricky third hole, where he chipped from one side of the green to the other on his way to a double bogey, Hideki Matsuyama has responded with three threes in a row to get back to +1 and level par for the day.
Today 09:51 AM
Gareth Hanna
How's it playing out there?
There have been 44 holes played in total out there this morning by the first 14 players on the course. There have been:
Six birdies
26 pars
Eight bogeys
Four doubles
Total score: +10
Today 09:42 AM
Gareth Hanna
MAJOR BREAKING: Rory 'makes blistering start'!
Despite him not teeing off until 2.30pm - the leaderboard in the media centre seems to have awarded Rory five birdies in his first seven holes today! Sure look, don't question it.
Today 09:39 AM
Nice touch
How about this for a cool addition to the bottom of every Srixon bag at this week's Championship? Each player has the three years The Open has been held at Royal Portrush on the bottom!
Today 09:30 AM
Gareth Hanna
'What does that mean?'
Bryson Dechambeau asks after he hooks his tee shot waaaaay out of bounds at the first. Not even close. It means you're re-loading mate. And he sends his second attempt straight down the fairway. All that effort to shoot 65 to make the cut, for that...
Edit: The holy grail! Birdie with his second ball to save bogey. Fair play. Goes to +2.
Today 09:06 AM
Adam McKendry
Which holes are causing the most problems?
Personally, it feels like most players have struggled to cope with the par-four 11th, but it is not the hardest hole on the course. That honour goes to the par-four 14th instead, which is playing 0.372 strokes over-par this week thanks to its narrow green and punishing bunkering.
The 11th takes second spot with a +0.295 rating, with the 502-yard par-four fourth in third spot and the par-three 16th, Calamity, the only hole that's not a par-four in the top-five.
On the other side, it's not surprising that the 520-yard par-five 12th is the easiest hole and is playing nearly half-a-stroke under-par this week, given it is easily reachable in two for practically the entire field. The other par-fives, the second and seventh, take second and third spots on the list, with the driveable par-four fifth and downhill par-four 17th also playing under-par.
Toughest holes
1. 14th, Par-4 (+0.372)
2. 11th, Par-4 (+0.295)
3. 4th, Par-4 (+0.288)
4. 16th, Par-3, (+0.260)
5. 1st, Par-4, (+0.237)
Easiest holes
1. 12th, Par-5 (-0.410)
2. 2nd, Par-5 (-0.240)
3. 7th, Par-5 (-0.221)
4. 5th, Par-4 (-0.115)
5. 17th, Par-4 (-0.087)
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