Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello, who is the leading European alongside Francesco Molinari, spoke to Sky Sports about his three-under-par 68.

"It was a great day," he said "It's a tough course, you have to really stay patient.

"It felt a long day with the delay this morning. I tried to play aggressive when I could and safe when I had to. I'm very pleased with the score.

"I have been feeling much better with my game the last few weeks."

There are some military jets flying in formation over the Pacific Ocean as Dustin Johnson pounds a nine-iron out of a fairway bunker on the fourth hole.

They have come from the Miramar air base, on which the Top Gun film of the 1980s was based.

DJ's approach finds the right of the green. He's in good company with Justin Rose close by, while Rory McIlroy's second finds the front. All three have lengthy birdie putts.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is in it to win it as much as anyone, but he has another specific goal on his mind this week.

The 24-year-old is hoping a good showing will earn him a PGA Tour card for the first time.

MacIntyre marked his Masters debut in April with a tie for 12th place and told BBC Scotland "it just takes one good week" to get a card.

He's had a birdie and a bogey so far in a solid start.

Bob is playing with England's Matt Wallace, who birdied the first and has followed that with four pars.

Image source, Getty Images

Went and cursed Jordan Spieth with all that talk of a steady start.

His tee shot went way left on the 12th - his third hole - and he didn't help himself by missing a short-range putt so a bogey it is.

The trio of US Open champions move swiftly on to the third tee... San Diego sunset is in a little over four hours, is that enough time to get round?

Rory McIlroy, out with an iron, finds the middle of the green. Dustin Johnson is a yard short, and in the rough. Good chip to four feet.

Justin Rose is back left of the green, snaking putt slides five feet past.

All three end up with pars

Uh oh...

Things have gone from bad to worse for defending champion Bryson DeChambeau as his par putt hooks round the hole.

The 27-year-old takes back-to-back bogeys. No doubt Brooks Koepka - his arch-enemy if social media is to be believed - is gleeful in the clubhouse after finishing on two under earlier.

Alongside DeChambeau, compatriot Tyler Strafaci is having an even harder time of it and is already four over, while Japan's Hideki Matsuyama remains one under.

Disappointment for Jon Rahm who made a superb birdie on his opening hole but has given it straight back with a par putt that stopped just short on the 11th green.

Xander Schauffele speaking to Sky Sports:

"I played great, it's hard to play relatively boring golf in a Major, especially here at Torrey Pines, and I felt like my caddie and I did a pretty good job of moving around the property and limiting the mistakes.

"I three-putted at 15 so I wasn't pleased with that and it was nice to get a birdie right away after a mistake like that."

With the top five on the leaderboard enjoying their post-round refreshments, it's worth a quick recap.

1 - Russell Henley -4 (67)

T2 - Rafa Cabrera Bello -3 (68)

T2 - Francesco Molinari -3 (68)

T4 - Brooks Koepka -2 (69)

T4 - Xander Schauffele -2 (69)

Former champion Jordan Spieth, who won in 2015, has had a steady start to the day.

The 27-year-old is playing in an all-American trio with Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler.

They started on the 10th and are all level par after two holes.

This might be my favourite phrase that I hear a lot but don't really understand. A real American-ism.

Rafa Cabrera Bello has signed for an opening-round 68 by the way, tied second in the clubhouse alongside Francesco Molinari.

Russell Henley's 67 still leads the way.

How's this for a stat plucked from the ether...

Rory McIlroy has never shot over par in a major when opening the first round with a birdie.

Can he double up at the second? No, a fraction out.

Over the years I've always enjoyed watching Justin Rose hole six-footers for fun in US Opens. He just seems to love the grind. A birdie chance from that distance for him on the second.

Not this time though.

Bryson DeChambeau elects to try and hit a high lofted affair from the scrubland off the back of the third green.

He doesn't get nearly enough of that and his ball plunges into the bank between him and the raised green. A better third gives him a simple putt for bogey.

As he drops back, Hideki Matsuyama takes advantage of his super tee shot to get into red figures.

It's another bogey for the US amateur champion Tyler Strafaci though.

The honeymoon is over for Lee Westwood as he bogeys the par three 11th.

Since the start of 2015, Rory McIlroy is a cumulative 35 over par in the first round of majors.

He came into this week saying he would be trying to play with a more freewheeling attitude right from the off.

I know it's early days but a birdie here would do wonders for him. And that is never in doubt. Straight in the middle. Rory off to the perfect start.

Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose both in for par.

A fantastic approach from Jon Rahm reaps rich reward for the Spaniard, an iron to within six feet followed by a confident putt.

Pars for playing partners Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman.

Up on the par-three third and Bryson DeChambeau is talking to his ball almost before he's hit it. And with good reason.

He's tugged his seven-iron long and left.

Hideki Matsuyama finds the green though and will have a decent birdie chance.

Dustin Johnson from 177 yards feeds his ball through the narrow gap at the front of the first green, although he will be surprised to see his ball check and pull up on the fringes.

Rory McIlroy has an almighty thrash in the rough, grass flying everywhere, but the ball flying straight on to the green. About 18 feet left.

Sergio Garcia goes one better than Richard Bland, nailing a bunker shot straight into the hole from even further away than the Englishman did a few minutes ago.

Some good starts from the late starters.