Former champion Justin Leonard got the 152nd Open Championship underway at Troon in a breezy and breezy environment.
The 52-year-old, who was given a further eight years for his victory here in 1997, has not appeared on the main stage since the last Open in Ayrshire in 2016 as he now plays on the Champions Tour.
Before the first shot at 6.36am there was a moment of reflection for Ivor Robson, the official opener of the Open for more than 50 years, who died in October and his family attended the match.
In the strong wind, blowing in their faces in a different way than the players have been practicing, Leonard holed out on the first hole alongside another Troon champion in Todd Hamilton, who is only 58 years old and has two years left in the event. He drilled a 12-footer to make it four.
A third member of the group, local player Jack McDonald, whose grandson is an honorary member of the club, also made the difference after his long birdie putt went just short.
The Claret Jug’s likely contenders haven’t cooled off so far, with Rory McIlroy looking to put last month’s US Open next to him when he tees off at 10.09am.
Ahead of him, at 9.36am, is a team that includes two-time major winner Jon Rahm and his Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood and Sunday’s Scottish Open champion Bob MacIntyre in front of an expectant home crowd.
World number four Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau – the US Open winner – and defending champions Brian Harman and Viktor Hovland will form McIlroy’s two groups ahead of him.
The big names out in the afternoon included Tiger Woods, out with US PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Ryder Cup teammate Patrick Cantlay, as well as world number one Scottie Scheffler – looking for his seventh win of the year.
Henrik Stenson, winner of a historic final day clash with Phil Mickleson when the Open was last held here eight years ago, will tee off at 12.42pm.
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