McIlroy in contention as Kevin Kisner leads at The Open

The Open

Round 1

Rory McIlroy began his bid for a first major title in four years with an opening-round 69 at The Open Championship at Carnoustie.

The Northern Irishman, 29, sunk three birdies to leave him three shots behind early clubhouse leader Kevin Kisner.

American Kisner, 34, carded an eagle and four birdies in a five-under 66.

Reigning champion Jordan Spieth dropped four shots in his final four holes to card a one-over 72, a score matched by his playing partner Justin Rose.

“I am happy with 69 and I am happy with my day’s work,” said four-time major champion McIlroy, whose last major triumph came at the 2014 PGA Championship.

“I think with some of the spots I hit it off the tee I would take it. Even if you are off line you can still play from the rough and that is what I was able to do today.”

McIlroy made birdies on the third, 12th and 13th and a bogey on the fifth was his only blemish, helping him join England’s Matthew Southgate and Danny Willett on two under par.

World number one Dustin Johnson, rated among the pre-tournament favourites, saw his chances harmed with a triple bogey on the par-four 18th to finish with a five-over 76.

South African pair Erik van Rooyen and Zander Lombard, along with American Tony Finau, are a shot adrift of Kisner in the clubhouse after 67s, while Brandon Stone – another South African who won the Scottish Openearlier this week – is a further shot behind.

There are 156 players aiming to win the 147th Open, which is being staged at Carnoustie for the first time since 2007.

Spieth, a three-time major champion, is bidding to become the first player to retain the Claret Jug since Ireland’s Padraig Harrington a decade ago.

The world number six finished third at the Masters earlier this year, but has missed three cuts in seven events since.

Birdies on the second and fourth helped him turn in 34, adding another on the 11th. However, he carded a double bogey on the 15th, dropped another shot on the 16th, then scrambled a bogey on the last after driving into the Barry Burn.

“It felt like a missed opportunity. I felt like I was really going well,” said the Texan.

“I think I’m certainly in a recoverable situation. I mean, I imagine this is as easy as the course could play.”

Spieth is one of seven American players sharing a house of the east coast of Scotland this week – along with early leader Kisner.

Only Kisner and Rickie Fowler, who shot an opening one-under 70, have not won a major among the group, with Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker having claimed eight between them.

“It’s not intimidating at all,” said Kisner. “They’re all great people.

“Everybody is just really chill and it’s a lot of fun to be around those guys. There’s a lot of great players. It’s really cool just to hear what they have to say.”

All four of golf’s biggest prizes are held by US players, with Spieth joined by Thomas (PGA Championship), Patrick Reed (Masters) and Brooks Koepka(US Open) as the current major champions.

Reed opened with a four-over 75, while five-time major champion Phil Mickelson shot a 73.

Yorkshireman Willett, 30, has struggled for form and fitness since his surprise win at the 2016 Masters, dropping towards the foot of the world’s top 500 before climbing back up to 320th in recent weeks.

He faced an early alarm call, teeing off in the third group of the day at 06:57 BST, but responded with an impressive round containing five birdies.

He started with a bogey on the first, and closed with two more, but played superbly in between to leave him feeling positive after his struggles over the past two years.

“I’m pretty hopeful we’ll never be in as dark a place as we were,” Willett said.

Asked to explain how dark it had been, he added: “Pitch black. It wasn’t good for a while but that’s kind of the situation we were in.

“We were fighting and the body was being really uncooperative. Unfortunately in this game, trying to travel and play 26 weeks around the world, travelling a countless amount of air miles, isn’t good for the body.”

Southgate, 28, says knowing the course – he grew up in Southend, but his father was a Carnoustie member – was a key factor in matching Willett to card a two-under 69, featuring two eagles.

“I don’t think you can ever know a golf course too well but I think it helps when you know, if you miss a green, exactly what you’re faced with next,” he said.

Fellow Englishman Chris Wood finished one under while Andy Sullivan and Eddie Pepperell, who only qualified with a second-place finish at the Scottish Open four days ago, signed for level-par 71s.

Tommy Fleetwood, runner-up in last month’s US Open, is one over, alongside Lee Westwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick with Paul Casey two over.

Scottish amateur Sam Locke, who works part-time in 1999 champion Paul Lawrie’s Aberdeenshire golf centre, shot 72 on his Open debut.

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, the 2011 champion, could only manage an 82 to stand over 11 over.