Montgomerie gets the 145th Open started

On the final day of practice before the British Open, two more golfers pulled out of the Olympics but major champions Danny Willett and Justin Rose remained on board.

Americans have a strong record at Troon- winning the last six Open Championships hosted there. Dunne, who was one of the stars of The Open a year ago as an amateur, finished with a 77.

It’s a morning for going low at Royal Troon. “We are not insular, and I’m proud to say that we have made this decision”. Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed are leading the way.

The biggest damage was being done by the par-four 11th, which played the hardest hole on the course in the 2004 Open and had yet to yield a single birdie.

Colin Montgomerie has recovered brilliantly from his double bogey to start the British Open.

However, from that point he responded magnificently with some vintage golf reminiscent of his heyday, when he was European number one eight times, to card five birdies in seven holes from the third.

Justin Thomas made his British Open debut with birdies on his opening three holes and also was at 3 under.

The veteran Scot, competing at The Open for what is likely to be the last time, was in the first group alongside 2015 play-off loser Marc Leishman and two-time top-five finisher Luke Donald.

And although the world number four bounced back with a birdie on the 15th, at two under par he was four off the lead held by Porteous, who had completed a brilliant front nine of 30 thanks to birdies on the seventh and eighth.

The Irish Sea was blue from abundant sunshine.

“We welcome the decision by Royal Troon to admit women as members and look forward to The 145th Open and many great Championships to come”. There already were eight birdies in the first 21 holes completed, with Sanghee Lee of South Korea making birdie on the opening two holes.

McIlroy’s round was in danger of unravelling when he fired his approach over the 13th green and compounded the error by three-putting for a double bogey, before dropping another shot on the next after failing to get up and down from a bunker. He might want to heed his own advice.

It was Montgomerie who once famously said about the start at Royal Troon that if a player is not under par at the turn, he might as well walk over to the clubhouse at adjacent Prestwick and have lunch.

Kaymer has not won since claiming his second major title in the 2014 US Open and lost his full playing rights on the PGA Tour at the end of last season, but is enjoying playing more in Europe.

McIlroy’s first birdie came at the long fourth, where Watson also birdied and when he picked up another shot at the next the big-hitting American gained a share of the lead.

There wasn’t an empty seat in the grandstand next to the first tee, where the silver claret jug was on a podium. Five dogs were on the beach, running along the shores amid tall shadows cast by the rising sun.

Muirfield, the site of 16 British Opens, was removed from the British Open rotation earlier this year after its membership voted against female members being allowed at the club.