Former champion Justin Leonard acquired the 152nd Open Championship underneath manner at Troon in overcast and breezy situations.
The 52-year-old, who has an exemption for one more eight years on account of his victory right here in 1997, has not appeared in a serious because the Open was final in Ayrshire in 2016 as he now performs on the Champions Tour.
Earlier than the primary shot at 6.36am there was a second of reflection for Ivor Robson, the official Open starter for greater than 50 years, who died in October and whose household had been current on the tee.
In a stiffening wind, blowing into their faces in a special path from which the gamers practised, Leonard parred the primary gap alongside one other Troon champion in Todd Hamilton, who at 58 has solely two years left within the occasion. He holed a testing 12-footer to additionally make 4.
The third member of the group, native qualifier Jack McDonald, whose grandad is an honorary member on the membership, additionally made par after his lengthy birdie putt got here up simply quick.
The present doubtless contenders for the Claret Jug weren’t due out till later within the day, with Rory McIlroy seeking to put final month’s US Open close to miss behind him when he tees off at 10.09am.
Simply forward of him, at 9.36am, is the group comprising two-time main winner Jon Rahm and his Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Sunday’s Scottish Open champion Bob MacIntyre in entrance of an expectant dwelling crowd.
World quantity 4 Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau – the US Open winner – and defending champion Brian Harman and Viktor Hovland are resulting from head out within the two teams instantly previous McIlroy’s.
Massive names out within the afternoon embody Tiger Woods, out with US PGA champion Xander Schauffele and his Ryder Cup team-mate Patrick Cantlay, and world primary Scottie Scheffler – in search of his seventh win of the yr.
Henrik Stenson, the winner of an epic final-day tussle with Phil Mickleson when the Open was final held right here eight years in the past, is due out at 12.42pm.
