The Open day one: Plenty to look forward to as the action starts at St Andrews

Previous winner Paul Lawrie got the 150th Open Championship beneath way in awesome circumstances at St Andrews.

The 53-year-aged Scot, victor in 1999 at Carnoustie and at first supplied the honour of teeing off initial on the Old Course 12 several years ago, was to start with off at 6.35am.

A prevailing wind from the west meant most of the outward nine was into the breeze but it was not strong plenty of to induce any difficulties for the early starters, despite the fact that it was forecast to select up later in the day.

Lawrie and his actively playing partners Webb Simpson, the 2012 US Open champion, and Min-Woo Lee all manufactured par at the 355-property first.

Below, the PA information company looks forward to the motion in the remaining important of the calendar year.

McIlroy braced for difficult challenge

Rory McIlroy was anticipating St Andrews to perform tough and get harder as he started his most current Open up challenge.

The 2014 winner was thanks to tee off at 9.58am at the Outdated Program alongside defending winner Collin Morikawa and final week’s Scottish Open winner Xander Schauffele.

There have been tips the game’s modern massive-hitters could make the class glimpse straightforward but, with rapid and agency ground and probable wind, McIlroy is not convinced.

He said: “I believe with the issue of the golf program, with a minimal little bit of breeze, you can bomb it close to below and strike driver and get it close to the greens, but that doesn’t essentially mean you are heading to make birdies from people positions.

“I just believe with the way the golf study course is enjoying and how organization and fast it is, it’s just heading to get super difficult by the finish of the week.”

McIlroy thinks the conditions could even enjoy into the hands of none other than Tiger Woods.

“It’s likely to be a video game of chess this 7 days, and no one’s been much better at actively playing that form of chess game on a golf study course than Tiger around the very last 20 years,” he explained.

Program experts?

As a two-time Open up winner about the Aged Training course, Woods inevitably heads the discipline when it will come to expert know-how of the popular Fife back links. Other past St Andrews victors who could yet again problem contain Zach Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen. Tyrrell Hatton may also extravagant his odds, having excelled in the Dunhill Backlinks Championship. While that party only features two rounds at the Previous Class,  Hatton won in 2016 and 2017 and arrived runner-up in 2018.

Tweet of the day

Essential tee moments

0635: Paul Lawrie, Webb Simpson, Min Woo Lee
0814: Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose
0958: Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
1009: Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland
1326: Scottie Scheffler, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton
1459: Tiger Woods, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa
1510: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Harold Varner

Weather forecast

A dry and vibrant commence was expected on Thursday but with cloud constructing up during the day. Sunny spells are anticipated to proceed but showers are attainable in the afternoon. Mild winds in the early morning, with gusts of 15-20mph later.