Bogey for Eduardo Molinari on the 4th and he joins his brother on three under. Is the Italian challenge going to fade on Day Two?
Nope, the Italian charge is in rude health again as Francesco Molinari birdies the 2nd and returns to four under.
A curate's egg of a round for Ireland's Shane Lowry so far as he tackles the 12th. He's notched two bogeys, two double bogeys and two birdies and having started the day at four under, he now finds himself level par.
Matteo Manassero makes a hash of the second and drops a shot, propelling the young Italian back into the pack.
A tough start also for amateur Ashley Chesters, who has already surrendered his hard-earned two under par score from Day One with bogeys today on the 2nd and 3rd. *reality bites*
Those pesky Molinari brothers are keeping me busy. Francesco birdies three and he joins George Coetzee on five under.
Despite having absolutely no meteorological qualfications whatsoever, I'm going to venture that the wind might just have dipped a little at Hoylake. Just a little mind...
Justin Rose misses a tiddler on 16 and the birdie goes begging.
Brooks Koepka causing a few waves at the top of the leaderboard with a bogey on the first and birdies on the 2nd and 5th. The net result is the American is five under for the tournament.
Stat attack time. Since 1975, only five players who've led the field after the first day have gone on to lift the Claret Jug that year. Not a great precedent for Rory McIlroy then...
What a difference a day makes. Sergio Garcia immediately got to grips with Hoylake on Thursday and birdied the 1st. Today the Spaniard can only muster a bogey on the same hole and it's an early dropped shot for the 2007 runner-up.
Great finish from champion Phil Mickelson, who birdies 18 to record a two under round today and leave him level par for the tournament and he'll definitely be back in action at Hoylake tomorrow.
That Tiger Woods chap will be teeing off shortly. Sense of anticipation around the first hole is palpable.
We have four players on five under as Matteo Matteo Manassero birdies the 4th. Two of the four are from Italy, a nation that has never produced an Open winner.
Make that five players on five under as Sergio Garcia eagles the 2nd and transforms the aforementioned quartet into a quintet.
Ok, five becomes four again as Brooks Koepka drops a shot on the 6th. I've got a feeling it's going to ebb and flow like this for the rest of the afternoon...
Whoops! Mr Woods begins his second round in rather surprising style, double bogeying the 1st after finding the rough off the tee and he's suddenly just one under.
In other news, Francesco Molinari clocks up a third birdie in four holes on the 5th and Rory McIlroy has company at the top of the leaderboard. More company actually after Matteo Manassero also birdies the 5th and we've got a threeway for top spot.
Bogeys on the 6th and 8th see Matteo Manassero slip off the pace for now. He's four under for the tournament but one over today. The early indications from this afternoon's rounds is no-one is going to tear things up...
Having said that Brooks Koepka decides to make a monkey of me with an eagle on the 10th and then a birdie on the 11th and the American rockets back into a joint share of the lead.
Don't discount the inimitable Rickie Fowler in all this. The charismatic American has birdied the 4th and 5th and is just one shot off the leaders now.
A statement of intent from Dustin Johnson, who has birdied the 1st and the 3rd to move to three under. The American was joint second at the Open in 2011 in case you've forgotten...
Best round of the day to date? That particular accolade is shared by George Coetzee, DA Points and Gary Woodland who have all carded three under 69s.
After his bogey on the 1st, Rory McIlroy has collected himself and string together three successive pars to remain five under.
Players set to miss the cut (currently +2): Jason Day, Zach Johnson (+3), Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bubba Watson (+4) #TheOpen #PricelessGolfby MasterCardUK via twitter 7/18/2014 12:21:32 PM
by Nick Taylor via twitter 7/18/2014 12:44:38 PM
Walking up to the first tee at a major has to be an amazing feeling #TheOpen #GolfDreamsby jonsweiner via twitter 7/18/2014 1:03:07 PM
#TigerWoods seems a little perturbed again at the #TheOpen. Poor shots and #Cameras may be his undoing, but I hope I am wrong.by Scott Grady via twitter 7/18/2014 2:22:29 PM
