Summary

  • Leader: -5 Suber (17)

  • -4 Brown (66), Im (66)

  • Clutch of players at -3 including MacIntyre (67) & DeChambeau (67)

  • Birkdale native Tommy Fleetwood cards one-under 69

  • McIlroy misses several short putts but birdies last for two-over 72

  • Matt Fitzpatrick also posts a 72

  • Get involved - your hometown heroes

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Live Reporting

Steve Sutcliffe, Matt Gault, Phil Cartwright and George Booth

  1. Baldwin +2, Detry -3 (17)

    Thomas Detry regains a share of the lead albeit not through anything he has done albeit that is maybe a tad harsh given he went right off the tee and still gave himself a look at birdie from 15 feet on the par-five 17th.

    Anyway, the point is, it didn't drop and he stays at three under.

    Meanwhile his playing partner, Matthew Baldwin bounces back from a bogey on the 16th after a sensational approach to gimme range.

  2. Get Involved - favourite Open venues

    Use form at top of page

    Why do I have to work on a sunny day when The Open is on??? Any of the Brits to win it would make me happy!

    Andy, Troon

    A couple of years ago at Troon, the weather was categorically not sunny.

    Guessing that's Andy's favourite Open venue - but which is yours? Tell us using the form at the top.

    I have to admit, I do love a meaty test.

    Have your say

  3. Im on a roll

    Im -2 (11)

    South Korea's Sungjae Im gets on a roll with a beautiful approach to four feet on the 10th and then knocks in back-to-back birdies on the 11th from 20 feet.

    He finished in a tie for seventh in 2024 at The Open and could be a dark horse.

  4. Experience most vital at the Open

    Spieth E, Fleetwood E, Rahm E (1)

    Matthew Hobbs
    BBC Sport journalist at Royal Birkdale

    Tommy Fleetwood knows this type of course better than most players in this field having grown up learning his craft on the links of north Merseyside - and the numbers suggest experience at the Open is a more valuable commodity than at any other major.

    Since 2010, winners of the Open have averaged nearly 38 starts in the majors - significantly more than at the Masters, US PGA or US Open.

    Fleetwood is making his 45th start at a major this morning - a suitable bedrock of experience to compliment that local knowledge.

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  5. Shot!

    MacIntyre -2, A. Fitzpatrick -2 (12)

    Alex Fitzpatrick adopts a classic links golf stance, in knee-high fescue on a steep bank with precious little green to work with on the 13th.

    He takes a huge backswing before jabbing his club deep into the undergrowth, from where a golf ball just about pops out and rolls onto the green.

  6. Burnt-out Birkdale

    Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

    Then...

    18th

    Now...

    18th

    Back in April, Birkdale was green.

    After what felt like weeks and weeks of rain in the north-west of England, the course looked lush. Fairways like the baize of a snooker table, rough like a swamp.

    Fast forward a couple of months and the picture - as you can see from the contrasting photos of the 18th - is rather different.

    Now it has fairways like parquet floors and straw-like rough which would make a comfy horse stable.

  7. DeChambeau's putter running hot

    Scheffler -1, Hatton -1, Dechambeau -2 (2)

    Bryson DeChambeauGetty Images

    It's already scorchio out on the course and another thing that is running hot is Bryson DeChambeau's putter as he drains a birdie putt from 17 feet to maintain his fast start to the championship.

    Scottie Scheffler also gets into the red from around 14 feet.

    A very handy start indeed for this stellar trio.

  8. Get Involved

    Use form at top of page

    @10:25 If the Claret Jug comes home, it would be to Scotland, as that's where it originated.

    Mac, Largs

    Very fair point. Need Bob MacIntyre to keep up this fine start then.

  9. Rahm cutting corners

    Spieth E, Fleetwood E, Rahm E (1)

    Aggressive play from Jon Rahm with a driver booming it over the corner on the second hole. With the wind down there's certainly the option to take Royal Birkdale on today, and length is not an issue with these rock hard fairways.

    In fact, it's the opposite, having to be wary of rolling out too far and finding these pot bunkers, which are a big danger. The difference in strategy will be fascinating as the week goes on.

  10. Par for Rose at three

    Henley E, Rose -1, Hovland -1 (3)

    Justin Rose of England and Viktor Hovland of Norway walkGetty Images

    A little knee flex from Justin Rose as his lengthy birdie putt swivels away from the third hole at the last minute.

    He joins Viktor Hovland and Russell Henley with another par.

  11. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

    For the average golfer, the first at Birkdale is not a gentle opener.

    We don’t have the distance which the pros do, meaning your second is generally a blind shot over the mound and slightly to the left.

    No danger for Fleetwood, Rahm and Spieth.

    They also have the ability to use their supreme control and get the ball to sit on the greens.

    But you’d think that is likely to change as the day goes on and the sun bakes the links to a crisp.

  12. Baldwin +2, Detry -3 (16)

    Thomas Detry knocks in a six straight par up on the 16th green. But the Belgian will find that his spot at the top of the leaderboard is gone with Alex Smalley going great guns back down the course.

  13. 'If something comes home, maybe it's the Claret Jug'

    James Gregg
    BBC Radio 5 Live commentator at Royal Birkdale

    Tommy Fleetwood of England after teeing offPA Media

    It is already baking out here.

    What better way to get over last night? Switch your mind to here. Football? What football?

    No English golfer has won the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992. Maybe this is the year - Tommy Fleetwood playing in Southport, where he was born. What a story it would be.

    If something comes home, maybe it is the Claret Jug.

  14. Smalley surges into the lead

    Smalley -4 (5)

    Alex Smalley is on fire! What a start from the American who has made birdies on four of his first five holes to scamper into the lead.

    It's the flat stick doing all the damage as Smalley's made over 74 feet of putts already.

  15. Par starts

    Spieth E, Fleetwood E, Rahm E (1)

    Pretty nice approaches by all three players in this superstar group - Jon Rahm wins nearest the pin with the short irons but he can't follow up with a birdie.

    Tommy Fleetwood just trickles towards the back of the green, which already looks a bit firmer than it did earlier this morning, and he can't quite get home with his birdie try either.

  16. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

    Tommy Fleetwood of England tees offPA Media

    Wonder how those nerves are for Tommy Fleetwood?

    Fleetwood was overcome by tension when he played here in 2017, finishing six over in day one and effectively ending his chances before they started.

    Today? Nonexistent judging by his crisp tee-shot on the first.

    Given all he has achieved in the past decade, Fleetwood is a different man these days.

  17. Brown scoots up board

    Brown -2 (10)

    Dan BrownGetty Images

    Three birdies in a row around the turn has catapulted Yorkshireman Dan Brown up the leaderboard and he's now just a shot behind the leaders.

    He led the field after the first round of his Open debut at Royal Troon in 2024, finishing 10th and is looking in good nick this morning.

  18. DeChambeau & Hatton open with birdies

    Scheffler E, Hatton -1, Dechambeau -1 (1)

    Defending champion Scottie Scheffler zips into 15 feet on the opening hole with maybe no more than an eight iron, or if not a very gentle seven iron.

    His birdie putt just stays a fraction high and that means an opening par. Both Tyrrell Hatton, who rolls in a left-to-right putt and Bryson DeChambeau are rewarded with birdies after pitching in to around 10 feet.

  19. Birdie bomb for Bob

    MacIntyre -2, A Fitzpatrick -2 (12)

    Robert MacIntyre is back in business as he lands another 40-foot putt for his third birdie of the day - he made a similar one from a few yards further away on the opening hole to start his round off.

    The flat stick seems to be working for the Scotsman.

  20. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

    Fans

    "Go 'ed Tommy lad!"

    If Fleetwood gets a pound for every time he hears that this week then he’ll be able to buy the whole of Southport.

    The grandstand around the first tee might be small but the welcome for the local hero is almighty.

    Fans clamber up sand dunes to catch a glimpse of their favourite son. The snappers have their cameras at the ready.

    No doubt who is the star of the show today…