The Open 2012: First round as it happened

So it was an iffy day for the two Englishmen who dominated the headlines ahead of this 141st Open Championship. Lee Westwood failed to plot his way around the tight links course with his customary aplomb, but those who stuck a pound or two on Luke Donald still have hope after the world number one's patiently constructed even par card. Undoubtedly, though, Adam Scott will grab the headlines for his scintillating six-under-par 64, while Paul Lawrie, Tiger Woods, G-Mac and a plethora of golf's finest names are prowling behind the Australian. Who will be Friday's leading man? I have no idea. Join my colleague Peter Scriviner at about 06:15 BST to find out. Cheerio.

Time for me to tell you about the second round tee times. That's if you want me to. There will be no lie-in for Rory McIlroy on Friday, of course, as the young hopeful tees off with Keegan Bradley and Louis Oosthuizen at 09:09 BST. That trio will be followed by Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington and Manuel Trappel at 09:20, while waiting in line for a 09:31 start will be Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and Geoff Ogilvy. Lee Westwood will have a tad longer to contemplate on a disappointing first round as he tees off with Yoshinori Fujimoto and Bubba Watson at 14:21, while Tiger Woods (14:43) Graeme McDowell (14:32) and Darren Clarke (14:10) also have time to digest a hearty brunch.

Two pars on the bounce sees Brandt Snedeker home with a four-under-par 66 thanks a bogey-free card and unless Anirban Lahiri produces the some magic on the final three holes you'd have thought the leaderboard will remain untroubled for the rest of the evening. The promising Lahiri, two under, is studiously plotting his way around the 16th.

Plenty on this website to entertain if you wish to recapture the best moments of the first round. Just saying. You can watch Adam Scott's course-equalling six-under-par 64, and once you're done you can chuckle, or empathise, with the poor youngster who needed a bandage around his bruised bonce after a wayward Rory McIlroy shot.

World number one Luke Donald on his level par 70, ruined by a bogey on the final hole: "That was a very poor shot and it would have been nice to sneak a birdie there, or at least a par. It's not an easy golf course and the conditions got a bit tougher for the afternoon guys. It was a very solid round. Certainly, it's a better start, I've been struggling to get off to good starts, it's something I can build on. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice conditions for the morning guys and I can take advantage with a few birdies."

Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, who finished five-under-par, 65. He missed last year's Open after a freak accident ruled him out of the championship, having fallen off a scooter and injured his elbow: "I played really well, and it was a great way to start. Everything went according to plan. To get an eagle early in the day and I was surprised it went in."

A handful of players still sweating on the course and my guess is that Robert Allenby can't wait for his first round to end. The Australian is five over in 17 after five bogeys and a double bogey. Jim Furyk is one over after 17 holes, but Anirban Lahiri is enjoying a more fruitful day as the 25-year-old from India is two under after a solid 14 holes.

Anders Hanson raises his putter in the air as a peach of a birdie sees him conclude the evening on two under and his partner in crime, Steve Stricker, goes one better with a birdie at the last for three under, an eagle on the 13th the highlight of the American's card. All eyes on Brandt Snedeker, though. The American is riding high as a birdie on the 16th takes him to fifth on the leaderboard on four under. Could the evening end with fireworks?

Steve Striker takes a three wood out of the bag and a mighty wallop with the big club sees him on the verdant fairway. Phil Mickelson finishes with three-over-par 73, an error-strewn front nine proving his downfall, while Geoff Ogilvy is just one shot ahead on two over after an inconsistent card comprising of three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. It's an unfortunate ending to Luke Donald's round as the Englishman's par attempt is a pimple short of the pin. The world number one finishes with a card wrecker of a bogey to go around in 70.

"Oh no," says Luke Donald, one under, and smiles ruefully as his approach shot sinks into one of the sand traps which lurk around the 18th green. A delightful wedge from the world number one sees the ball skip agonisingly beyond the cup. Brandt Snedeker has a birdie attempt on the 16th to nudge to four under. By the way, Aimee here taking over from Mike Henson.

Rory McIlroy who finished with a three-under 73: "It was playing great and made par on 14. The 15th hit the guy's head and I did well to keep my composure and to finish with two birdies from last three was great.

"I didn't shout fore, I didn't think I needed to. It is not nice to see, but he said he was ok and that was the most important thing.

"I was pleased with how I bounced back towards the end. My game feels good and it has got progressively better, everything seems to be in good working order."

Luke Donald singes the rim with a beautifully weighted punt at a birdie on the 17th. It snakes just by, but he has not put the house on it by any means. Not too far to nudge back for yet another par.

Luke Donald's second shot at the par-four 17th is typically solid. The world number one will have a long-range poke at a birdie.

A corker of a second shot from Rory McIlroy, on two under, chases Muto and Molinari off the final green. He has a putt of five foot for a birdie. Keegan Bradley, level par, takes a frustrated thwack at the carpet as his attempt to follow suit drifts off to the right. He is on the green but has a lot more to do if he is to pick up a shot here.

Toshinori Muto and Francesco Molinari both narrowly miss with their birdie putts at the last. They are home for a 67 and 69 respectively.

Keegan Bradley racks up a few more miles of worried wandering as he contemplates his tee shot on the last. Nothing to be too concerned about though as his blast splits the fairway. Rory McIlroy probably added to his jitters. The Northern Irishman's effort skimmed its way between a couple of sand hazards before eventually finding a safe bit of turf to rest on.

Nothing limp in that putt from Rory McIlroy who holes out from six, seven feet or so for par on the 17th. Nicolas Colsaerts finishes up in front of the clubhouse to card a five-under 65. He is a very Belgian-looking bloke Colsaerts, looks like he would do a decent shift in a back office of the European Parliament.

Luke Donald has a good view of the flag as he stands over his second shot at the 16th. He can't quite put it where he wants it though, maybe cowed a little bit by the bunker off to the right of his vision. A tricky birdie putt that wobbles all off the shop comes up a little short and he will have a two-footer for a glass of his usual. Yep, down it goes. That is the 15th par of his round.

Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, five under and one shot off the lead, mashes his tee shot down the middle on the last. Toshinori Muto is a fraction away with his birdie putt on the preceding green and remains on three under. Two fellas following the McIlroy/Bradley group are sporting suits made entirely from Union Jacks. They have had plenty of opportunity to break out those little beauties in this summer of sport. I'll be on the phone to my tailor immediately.

Back up the way Rory McIlroy plugs his tee shot down the centre, while Keegan Bradley flirts with disaster. The American gets a bit of luck as his ball squirms its way through the front half of a bunker down the left and then looks as if he got a useful ricochet off the toecaps of a course officials boots.

Gutsy stuff from Japan's Toshinori Muto who flies the bunkers guarding the 17th green with his approach. He has a chance for a birdie that would take him to four under.

Rory McIlroy has a chance to rake in both those dropped shots at the 16th. A hint of uphill gradient on a tricky ten-footer, but not a lot of left or right to factor into the equation.

Louis Oosthuizen leaves his birdie attempt from 15 feet or so high and dry, not quite enough heat behind it. The South African remains two over.

Toshinori Muto is made to pay for a messy tee shot on 14th and drops to three under after a bogey. Phil Mickelson, three over through 12, will have to produce some magic on the tricky last five holes if he is to drag himself back into contention.

"He's wearing those ankle socks that the ladies wear," says Peter Alliss of Keegan Bradley. He's not wrong, the camera focuses on the American's footwear to confirm he is in fact wearing ankle socks. Nothing wrong with that, I don't think, in this modern world. Bradley escapes the 13th with par, despite a wayward tee shot, to remain on three under.

Keegan Bradley has strung together two birdies and is three under after 11 holes, while whistles and cheers emanate from the patrons on the 10th as a beaming Phil Mickelson sinks a birdie to creep back to two over. Old Lefty celebrates with a fist pump.

Luke Donald has certainly negotiated his way out of the many traps which litter this course, eight pars and a birdie for a solid front nine. Rory McIlroy purposefully strides towards the 12th after a birdie moves him back to two under. Holywood's great hope looking stern and focused. The talented Francesco Molinari taps in a simple putt for par and is motoring along nicely on two under.

Harry Redknapp would like Luke Donald to win, while Ken Brown said earlier this week that the Lytham course is perfect for the world number one, who is hoping to become the first Englishman in 20 years to triumphantly hold aloft the Claret Jug. "If ever a course was made for Luke Donald, as long as there is bit of run, this is it said Brown. "Never has a course been made so perfectly for someone who can thread the ball between its bunkers. He is the best sand player from around the greens, we know he holes out well and chips well and is pretty accurate."

Unheralded duo Nicolas Colsaerts and Toshinori Muto quietly rising up the leaderboard and are tied for fourth on three under. An eagle and two birdies illuminating a fine-looking card for Belgium's Colsaerts on the front nine. Paul Casey has dropped to two under after a bogey on the par four 13th. And as I type BBC Sport's Dan Walker has found former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and both are having a nice little chin wag.

The flag in the seventh hole fluttering vigorously which suggests the Flyde coast's capricious wind has decided to up the ante. Luke Donald negotiates his way out of a monster bunker on the seventh and delightfully chips in a few feet from the pot. Seventh hole is the easiest on the course according to Ken Brown and I believe every word that man says. Padraig Harrington has failed to find the green on the hole eight and it's not looking good for the Dubliner, while there's a grimace from Rory McIlroy as he fails with a birdie attempt, but it's a solid two under for the 2011 US Open champion on the front nine.

Three pars on the trot on the closing nine for Paul Casey who is chugging along nicely on three under. Rory McIlroy takes the wedge out on the eighth and conjures a wonderful approach shot, confidently birding to nudge to two under. It's a bit of a struggle for McIlroy's close friend Rickie Fowler. The American, sporting an oversized baseball cap and looking like a cross between a children's tv presenter and a musketeer, scuppers an eagle attempt on the seventh but sinks an easy birdie to move one over.

A very good afternoon to you. So, to recap: Adam Scott still standing alone at the top of the leaderboard after a record-equalling six-under-par 64. The Australian equalled the course record which was set by Justin Leonard in 1996. "I'm pretty sure that score will be untouched," predicts Andrew Cotter confidently. Back to real time, a ripple of applause around the sixth as Phil Mickelson jabs his way out of a sand trap and eventually saves par. The American, or Lefty as my good friend Pete Scrivener refers to him, remains on one under, as does Luke Donald.

Rory McIlroy from 20 feet and he's not hit that one either - leaving a good few short the 2011 US Open champion - but that's a birdie and he's into the red on one under. Seems like a good place for me to drift away for the day. I'll be back at 0600 on Friday morning for round two. In the meantime, here's Aimee...

Big groans from the gallery as Captain Jack Sparrow (aka Rickie Fowler) chips into a bunker from just off the back of the sixth green. Big cheers up ahead though as Keegan Bradley comes within a whisker of an albatross two on the par-five seventh. Tap-in eagle for the 2011 US PGA winner - makes up for the double bogey on the sixth. Rory McIlroy with a four-iron into the front of the green and he'll have a putt for eagle too.

No bunker for Padraig Harrington's ball but I bet he wishes it was in the sand now. He takes about 50 pratice swings, clearing the way for any other errant shots that may head that way in future games, before flopping one on to the green. Paul Casey with a wonderful tee shot on the short 12th and he's a dozen feet from a birdie to get to four under.

Padraig Harrington coming out of similar rough on the sixth to that which Rory McIlroy was in a few moments ago. Must have had a tough lie though because he can only advance that 120 yards or so and he may have found one of the 200+ bunkers dotted around the course. Luke Donald, sporting a pair of shoes that would not look out of place in 1930s New York, splits the fairway on the sixth.

Up to the sixth and Rory McIlroy is in the long stuff but there's no chipping out sideways from the Northern Irishman - a big swing and follow through and he clatters that onto the green - tremendous shot. Bizarre from Australia's Aaron Townsend on the last. His ball is jammed towards the back of the bunker and rather than splashing out backwards, he elects to putt the ball a couple of yards further into the sand before knocking one on to the dancefloor.

Rickie Fowler in for par on the short fifth and as he trudges off the green, Phil Mickelson prepares to hit a seven-iron. The American finds the front of the green but the ball does not take a big leap forward. Luke Donald with an almost identical shot and they will both have 25 footers up the green.

Luke Donald's outside chance of a birdie on four, remains that, but he nudges in from a couple of inches for par. Phil Mickelson meanwhile is not hanging about and rattles in his birdie chance to get back to one under.

Up on 10, Paul Casey with the putter from just off the left-hand edge of the green but he's not getting to four under just yet as that goes right of the hole.

Phil Mickelson on the third fairway and this is his third after hacking out of the rough. No bother for Lefty though and he knocks that to five feet. Tony Jacklin is back in the BBC Two commentary booth and he tells us that the wind is getting up, helping the players on the way out, bit more in yer face on the way home.

Here's Rory McIlroy on the fourth with a long birdie putt up the length of the green but he's not hit that and it's pulling up a good three feet short. Solid par putt follows. Not quite got the pace of the greens yet you feel but that's four pars to start. Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 champion golfer, across the green but that is edging past the hole. Back on three and Rickie Fowler is dropping after racing his three foot par putt about the same distance the other side of the hole. Amateur putt that.

American Tom Watson after carding a one-over 71: "It was very disappointing, but as the guys in the press room have reminded me, I have only broken par once in four attempts on this course. Overall though I am fairly happy with my round. I had four terrible swings out there and they cost me bogeys, but I have a good feel with my putter on the greens."

"Ah, come on," whispers Luke Donald as his approach shot on the second with a mid-iron fails to find the intended target. A cameraman captures a kite looking almost motionless in the Lancastrian sky, which gives me the perfect opportunity to pass you over to an energised Peter Scrivener.

A satisfactory smile from Luke Donald after he taps a simple putt for par. If the cameras weren't focused on him then I'm sure he'd wipe his brow and say phew. Perhaps. Over on the third hole, Keegan Bradley leans forward and closely follows his ball onto the green. The American currently one under along with a group of 19 other players, which includes Padraig Harrington and Charl Schwartzel.

Graeme McDowell after a three-under-par 67 on BBC Two: "It's always nice to get your name on the board early in the week and get off to the right start. I felt like I had my eye in well on the greens but it wasn't my greatest ball-striking round. It's difficult to negotiate this course without hitting bunkers but you've got to accept that you will get in a few bad positions before you tee off. The last five holes are very difficult so you're trying to hold on to what you got through the first 13 holes."

Luke Donald, sporting a snazzy pair of white and red leather shoes, skips onto the first tee and gives the ball an adrenalised wallop with the big club. Perhaps a bit too much power from the Englishman as the ball sails into a sand trap. Phil Mickelson and Geoff Ogilvy are also under way, with the latter finding the edge of the dancefloor. Nice.

Three-time Open Championship winner Tiger Woods after a round of three-under-par 67: "I got off to a great start. I was playing really well all day but was lacking a bit of pace on the greens. I tried to make the adjustment but they were still dying off. I love this type of golf. It is so strategic, you really have to think. I enjoy the test, you have to be so precise. I am in the right spot at the moment, plugging my way along. A few of the guys have gone low early."

Hello, Thomas Aiken. The South African enjoying himself in red rose county as he waves his arms in the air and heartily chuckles with his caddie after a birdie sees him progress to two under after 15 holes. Aiken joins Jamie Donaldson, Lee Slattery, Richard Sterne and Nicolas Colsaerts on two under. Trouble for Keegan Bradley. The American places both hands on hips after finding one of the fine strips of rough.

Tiger Woods has a birdie attempt on the 18th... his effort snakes to the right, though, and the three-time winner concludes a relatively conservative day with a three-under 67, a bogey on the 15th the only blemish on an otherwise faultless scorecard. A more laboured first round for Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, who finish two over and four over respectively.

Masters champion Bubba Watson, who finished on three under with a round of 67: "The key to the round was that I was hitting the long irons really well. Here, we have developed a game plan of using a lot of irons from the tees so I have been practising that. I knew I was playing well, but I am back here trying to challenge for another title."

Sergio Garcia lifts his iron over his head in despair but isn't that bad a shot from the Spaniard, who finds the edge of green. The clock passes 14:21 and dulcet tones announce Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and Louis Oosthuizen. "What will the afternoon hold for these three?" asks Peter Alliss. I don't know, Peter, I just don't know but the trio have found the fairway with their opening tee.

The day is almost done for Woods, Rose and Garcia as they have just teed off on the 18th. G-Mac removes his cap to display a bad case of hat hair, but a fine day at the office for McDowell despite a bogey on the last. Northern Ireland's finest completes a three-under 67 to join Ernie Els, Bubba Watson and Woods on the leaderboard.

A magnificent effort from Paul Casey, a 300-1 outsider with the bookies, as he sinks a wonderful birdie putt for two under after four holes. Whoops and hollers from the crowd for the man who only three years ago was ranked the third best golfer on the planet. The clouds around Lytham now akin to a William Turner painting and flags are now proudly fluttering in the breeze, but conditions are still quite pleasant.

American Zach Johnson after a round of 65: "For the most part, it was solid. With benign conditions like this, you have to take advantage. There are not many Americans who don't want to be there, it is one of my favourite courses. I am putting well, reading greens properly and my speed is good. I am starting to hit the ball better too so we did some good things with my coach and it is starting to pay off. It would be fantastic to win it. These courses magnify your weakness more than others but it is only Thursday, there is a long way to go yet."

Lee Westwood fails with a lengthy birdie attempt on the last and the world number three returns to the clubhouse three over after an ugly back nine. The man from Worksop will have to hope for a better second round if he is to rid himself of the tag of golf's perennial bridesmaid. His playing partner Bubba Watson, looking a tad sombre in an all-black outfit, holds for par to finish with a fine three-under 67. Over on the 17th, McDowell somehow found the green but failed with a gargantuan birdie attempt. Solid stuff from G-Mac, though.

Former champion Paul Lawrie told BBC Sport after his round of 65: "Early on, I was missing every green and then chipping in. It was the most bizarre first six holes of my career. You need those breaks and it was a nice start to get going. My putting was awful last week, and I did a lot of work on my putting this week. I felt a lot better in practice and rolled the ball pretty well today. This is the form of golf I enjoy playing the most. There is a lot of expectation on you when you are defending champion but Darren Clarke will be disappointed with his round."

A catawampus of a tee shot from McDowell on the 17th, but the Portrush favourite just nonchalantly shrugs his shoulder. Meanwhile, on the 18th Ernie Els doffs his cap to the appreciative crowd as he birdies the final hole for three under. A satisfactory first round for the big man. "I can't imagine Ernie's going to be far away." says Paul Lawrie on the telly. Not such a great afternoon for defending champion Darren Clarke, who finishes the day six over.

Australia's Adam Scott after a course record-equalling round of 64: "I am very happy with that round. It is a great start to the week and better than I expected myself this morning. We had ideal conditions and so we don't know what will be thrown at us the rest of the week.

"Everything was going well today, I hit some good shots but the conditions were perfect. I went out there with a mindset of it being Sunday, with one round left and no tomorrow so it was a good mindset to go out with.

"A major title is what I have dreamed of as a kid. It is a long way off but hard to put into words what it would mean to win it."

Oh no, Tiger Woods has found the thick stuff. The American should have taken Ken Brown's advice. "If you're going to miss the fairway, miss the fairway," said the BBC commentator earlier this week. Woods, arms folded, trudges in wild foliage and disconsolately looks at his ball. It happens to the best of us, Mr Woods. But hang on, a touch of wizardry from the former world number one gets him onto the green... He drops to three under, though, as he fails to give his putt enough oomph.

Ross Fisher, who is about to tee off in under five minutes, has had time to stop and chat: "Conditions were generous this morning and the afternoon starter should get similar to take advantage of some good weather. There are a few nerves, it is the biggest championship in the world and I have had a couple of chances in recent years but I am very excited to get going now. The course has changed but it is still tough."

Paul Lawrie heads back to the clubhouse with a smile as wide as the the River Dee. The former champion goes around the 309-yard 18th in three shots to finish five under and the Scot is currently a lofty third on the leaderboard. McDowell in trouble in as he's found one of the many sand traps. A punchy jab gets him out of the bunker and safely onto the green, but it's a bogey for the former US Open champion. A steady rather than a spectacular conclusion for Adam Scott, who bogeys the final hole to fall to six under for a share of the lead with Zach Johnson.

Jamie Donaldson, the only Welshman in the field, sinks a relatively straight-forward putt on the 18th to par for a first-round 68. Over on the 14th, warm applause for Graeme McDowell as he saves par to remain on four under and while G-Mac walks towards his caddie a satisfied man ohing can be heard on the 16th as Ernie Els, attempting an eagle, narrowly misses a monster putt and has to instead be content with a birdie.

Pete has just popped out for a sarnie so I'll steer you through the next hour or so. A very good afternoon to you! The raincoats have been packed away and Lee Westwood has even decided to ditch the pullover for a t-shirt and tank top combo. You can tell Worksop's finest was brought up on links courses. It's not like the Cote d'Azur on the Flyde coast, I admit, but in today's Britain no rain is something to savour and it's most definitely a perfect afternoon for a spot of golf. Scorecards are peppered with plenty of birdies, but Westwood could do with one or two in the final four holes, although Mr Alliss confidently says: "He's not out of contention yet."

Tiger asks his ball to bite on the 13th and it obliges but he's got a 20-footer for birdie. Sergio Garcia's ball also spins but he is five feet away. With that, it's time for me to take a stroll. Having done seven hours today, I feel for Ivor Robson, the starter still has three hours before he can take a break. Aimee Lewis to take you through the afternoon.

A rare look at Lee Westwood and he is in huge trouble on the 14th. The Englishman dropped a shot on the 13th to go back to level par and he has found a fairway bunker on the 14th. His ball is up against the front face and he appears to have no shot. He can't go forwards or backwards. In the end, he flips his sand wedge over and plays out left-handed. Inventive stuff but on a day when scoring is low he could do with a couple of birdies coming in.

Up on 16 and Adam Scott is putting together the round of his life. Four birdies in his last five holes and he's stiffed his approach to 16. Seven under beckoning - I keep hearing this back nine is supposed to be the harder of the two.

Justin Rose marches off the 11th green with a stoic look on his face. He's still five over but had a chance of a birdie there. Paul Lawrie flies another wedge into the 16th green and the greens are continuing to hold balls that pepper the flag. Woods proves the point on the short 12th, although he would have liked that to skip forward a few yards.

Back-to-back birdies for Paul Lawrie on 14 and 15 and the Scot joins Graeme McDowell, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods on four under. And here comes Zach Johnson with a birdie on 13 to extend that group to five. Adam Scott still leading the way on five under remember.

Hit and hope time for Sergio Garcia on 10. He hit it well enough but I'm sure he can't possibly have hoped it would end up on the green 12 feet from the pin. Terrific power out of the deep, deep rough. Breeze picking up a little and Justin Rose from the fairway leaves another iron short of the flag. Tiger out of a divot, drives through the ball and skips it up to set up another birdie opportunity.

Justin Rose duffs his chip out of the rubbish and he's got a 15-footer for par - no messing with that one and it rattles the back of the cup and that is a welcome par for the Englishman. Tiger from half that distance but he's pushed that one right. "He's lost it," jokes Ken Brown on BBC Two, before adding: "He's out in 30." That's four under at Royal Lytham.

Lee Westwood has a little moan to himself after pinging his approach to 10 on the green but well right of the flag. Justin Rose having nightmare on eight. His first chip from in the hollow in front of the green fails to get up the slope and tumbles back towards his feet. His second effort, for par, bounces by and he's dropping at least one more shot. Tiger stalking his 25-foot putt and that shaves the left-edge. A par and he stays at four under.

Lee Westwood rattles in the fourth birdie of his opening nine holes but he is only at one under. A bogey and a double bogey blighting his card. Graeme McDowell gets to two under with a birdie on the eighth. Here's Adam Scott to tie the lead but his eagle putt on the 11th refuses to go near the hole. The Australian up to three under though.

Justin Rose trying to look calm but his blood must be boiling on the inside - another shot goes on the par-five seventh and he is drifting out of contention on four over. Sergio Garcia gets his round back on track with a birdie on the same hole, while Tiger taps in to take sole charge again. Woods on four under, with Bubba Watson on three under and Paul Lawrie two under

Here's Bubba Watson on eight, splashes of pink on an otherwise all-black outfit, and he is joining Woods atop the leaderboard on three under with a birdie. Lawrie's hopes of moving back to three under, shelved on 11 as his 30-footer stops short.

Tiger Woods out with a three-iron on the seventh - he's got 270 yards to go. Yep, that's 270 yards with a three-iron. He's not caught that quite right though and angrily swishes his club as the ball comes to a rest just short of a greenside bunker. Sergio Garcia, from a bit closer, is out with the three-wood and he finds the bunker that Woods's ball didn't fancy going in.

"It's as easy as it's going to get right now," says Tony Jacklin, the 1969 Open winner at Royal Lytham, on BBC Two. "The greens are receptive," he adds as Ernie Els chips in from off the front of the eight and that's two birdies on the trot, wiping out the two previous bogeys, to return the South African to one under.

The flag on the sixth is hanging limply, there is barely a breath of air out there. Time to take advantage boys. Tiger does just that, firing straight at the pin. Sergio Garcia emits a wee growl but his ball gets lucky, evading the greenside bunkers. Up on 10 and joint leader Paul Lawrie gets a bit too much action on his ball and that spins away from being a decent approach to average.

Tiger pings a trademark low stinger with a long iron down the sixth and that fairly bounds down the fairway. Justin Rose follows with a driver but his ball is pulling up short of his playing partner's. Sergio Garcia out to the left and into more rough, he's been in worse though. Adam Scott for birdie on eight but that's not curling enough and slides a couple of feet by.

Onto the par-three fifth and thousands of spectators surround the fairway and groan ever-so-slightly as Woods's ball flirts with the edge of the green before tumbling off the right edge. Rose into the heart of the green. Good chance of a birdie coming up. Garcia, in pristine white trousers, also with a five iron, merest sniff of wind from the left, and he is seeking the pin, 10 feet for birdie for the Spaniard.

McDowell shaking his head after missing a birdie putt on four but a simple par to stay one under. Rose's par putt pulls up fractionally short on three while Garcia is dropping two as we learn that he had one hack in the rough that failed to shift the ball. Up on five and Westy out the bunker to about five feet - decent effort that.

Westwood, with the red cross of St George on his shoe, leaks his tee shot on the 205-yard fifth out to the right. Rose, from well short of the green flips a wedge pin high, but he's left with a 20-footer for par. Woods from a wee hollow 15 yards the other side of the cup. He pulls away, distracted by something or someone in the crowd. He regroups, then it's hands forward, feet together and that's stone dead.

Rose and Garcia both in the deep stuff on the third. And when I say rough, I'm not talking about the stuff where you wonder whether your ball is lying nicely. It's more a case of whether you can find it and then get a clubface on it. Both smash their balls out but neither find the green. Woods from the fairway and he's tugging left now.

Westwood belts his drive down the fourth and he's not making the same mistake from the fairway as he did on the third, into the green. Back to normality for Lee. Lawrie back into the lead on his own as Jeev Milkha finds sand on the par-three 12th and cannot get up and down in two.

The opening holes run alongside a train track but BBC commentator Andrew Cotter informs us that "they have stopped the trains this week, to stop them distracting the players". "They didn't do that in my day," retorts Alliss. "They used to make a hell of a noise."

Ian Poulter is playing par golf through four holes. Those of you who were with him at 0630 this morning for the opening tee shots, will be relieved to learn that James Driscoll, the first leader of this year's Open, has steadied his round with five pars after turning in nine over.

Garcia from the fairway on two and he's taking a hand off the club and leaning to the left, that usually means the ball is going right and my word does it go right...about 40 yards right but it's still on the short stuff. Rose on the green but a long way from the hole. Tiger into the heart but still 40 feet away. Bubba on three, misses a short birdie putt and that's three pars to start.

Rose with a horrific stance in the bunker on the first. Right leg in the sand, left leg out, knee resting on the grass, ball up against face but he does remarkably well to get up and out. Still work to do for par and he's dropping - that started right and stayed out there. Clarke ships another after finding sand with his second shot on three and he is two over after three.

Tiger with a towering iron on the first and that lands softly, too softly on the green. A slight release forward would have been perfect, but he's only a dozen feet short. Rose up next and he doesn't like that - with good reason too as it plunges straight into a bunker on the left of the green. Sergio making his 53rd start in a major. Couple of deep breaths before he addresses his ball. Couple of waggles of the club and he comes up 40 feet short. Lots of movement in the galleries. Reckon a few people ay be following this game round.

Westy into the second and he's given himself another birdie opportunity. Tee-to-green working well for Lee at present. Bit of a longer putt this time, maybe a dozen feet or so.

Bubba from 40 feet for birdie and the left-hander judges the pace reasonably well, although it always looked like it was going to pull up a few inches short. Fujimoto from half that distance after splashing out the sand but he's opening with a bogey. Now Lee. How's the putter this week?

It's the little and large show in Westwood's trio. Bubba Watson is 6ft 3in, while Japan's Yoshinori Fujimoto is 5ft 5in. Watson finds the dancefloor, Fujimoto one of seven bunkers that form a necklace round the green. Up on two and we get a first sight of how penal the rough is. Clarke hacking out and he's only knocking that 30 yards down the fairway

Jeev Milkha Singh's lengthy birdie putt on eight stays up and he remains on one under. Game 16 is on the first tee and Lee Westwood gets a tremendous reception from the gallery. He steps back from his ball for one last look, wobbles from back foot to front foot. And you won't see many better shots than that on this hole as it sidles up to the cup, stopping a couple of feet short.

Here's Clarke on the first green. The Northern Irishman has a good look at this and he settles over the ball but he's not hit that and he's walking after it before it's halfway to the hole. The ball curls off to the right, but a nice easy par. Els pops in from three-feet after a decent lag putt while Johnson taps in from inches and it's pars all round.

World number three Lee Westwood and Masters champion Bubba Watson up next, with 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell following them before Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia get going. Hope you didn't have any other plans this morning.

Jeev Milkha takes it out on his tee shot on the eighth and smacks that straight down the middle. Benign conditions so far. Defending champion Darren Clarke "strides his way onto the first two like a gunslinger," acording to BBC on-course commentator Maureen Madill his way to the first tee. He's got 2002 winner Ernie Els and 2007 Masters champion Zack Johnson for company.

First look of Bazza Lane's opening tee shot - solid as you like that, although how he three-putted from about 30 feet is anybody's guess. He hit his first shot in the Open 25 years ago. Birdie-par-par, birdie-par-par for Jeev Milkha Singh so far. On the seventh? Bogey and he's back to one under alongside three others, including my favourite Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Ah...that unmistakable theme music. The 2012 Open is live on all manner of platforms - BBC Two, this website, the red button etc...

Thirty-nine golfers currently out on the course - Australia's Adam Scott is among the latest group to tee off. I've lost count of the number of times he has been touted as a potential major winner. Is it his week to step up?

Not much mention of Tiger Woods this morning. Let's change that right now. The former world number one, who is looking to add to his collection of 14 major titles, is expecting a stern test this week. "I've played [in Opens] here twice before and this is different. The rough is more lush and it's a slower golf course, but the bunkers are penal and it is a course we are going to have to plot our way round, It's one of the toughest courses we play."

If you've got a few minutes to kill while eating breakfast, commuting into work, can I point you in the direction of Andrew Cotter's guide to the Lytham links. The BBC Sport commentator has taken to the skies and hops in and out of a helicopter, to visit some of the key holes. He also visits one of the 206 bunkers that defend the course - don't worry he remembers to rake his footsteps.

A steady par-par start by Sandy Lyle is followed by a couple of bogeys on three and four and the 1985 winner at St Georges is going the wrong way down the leaderboard. For any youngsters out there, Sandy was the first British winner of the Masters in 1988 - his choice of food at the following year's Champions' dinner? Haggis of course. Lovely.

Bizarrely, I'm being bombarded with random facts by text - not sure they are for me, but did you know that the heart of a Blue Whale is the size of a small family car and if you were so inclined you could go for a swim along a blood vessel. Birdie, par, par start for Jeev Milkha who continues to lead the Open.

I do need to mention the 1989 Royal Troon Open winner Calcavecchia though. He's not tearing up the course, having bogeyed the third to go to one over, but I thought you might like to know he has a 10-pin bowling average of 205. Not bad you may surmise, but once you factor in that he has a two-lane 10-pin bowling alley at his house, you may expect it to be a little higher.

Wild Thing John Daly, the champion golfer of 1995, is under way with a nice steady par on the first. The pressure of leading early on clearly getting to Driscoll, he's followed the double with two more bogeys and he's at three over and unlikely to get too many more mentions in the live text.

David Duval, the American who won the last Open at Royal Lytham in 2001, gets his challenge under way at 0747. The now 40-year-old has had what can only be described as a torrid time on the course since then, slipping to a world ranking past 1,000, BBC Sport's Rob Hodgetts tells us in a blog. However, he's currently up to 775 in the world and "absolutely" believes he can win this year.

I've heard a few nods towards Jeev Milkha Singh in the wake of his win at the Scottish Open last weekend. The Indian making a statement with a birdie on the opening hole to join 20-year-old Japanese golfer Kodai Ichihara atop the fledgling leaderboard.

Time for all you gamblers to sit up and take notice. Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie believes only four players can win the Open at Royal Lytham this week and luckily for you, he's only gone and named them. Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie are the men you should have your moolah on this week. Apparently.

Birchenough is reminiscing on BBC Radio 5 live about some of the greats who have graced the course during his time. "Nicklaus, Palmer, Player have all been round here," he says. "And Seve was just special the way he got round the course, it's the tightest of courses but he just drove it down the middle." And if you o happen to hit the ball in the rough? "The trick is to declare the ball unplayable, walk back to where you played it from and play again," he laughs.

Four groups are out on the course, reports BBC Radio 5 live's Nicky Campbell. "I'm like a kid in a sweetshop," he gushes excitedly as he starts talking to club pro Eddie Birchenough.

While the early-morning players get their rounds under way, there's time to squeeze in a bit of history. Royal Lytham is hosting the Open for the 11th time. US amateur Bobby Jones won the first in 1926, David Duval the last in 2001. In between Seve won two of his three majors on the Lancashire links, memorably hitting a shot from a temporary car park on his way to his first win in 1979.

Donald goes out this afternoon at 1443 and he's playing with Phil Mickelson, the American who has won four majors and tied for second at last year's Open. 2011 champion Clarke is out at 0909, playing with 2002 winner Ernie Els. Westwood, playing with Masters champ Bubba Watson follows at 0920. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is next to tee off at 0931, while Woods, England's Justin Rose and Spain's Sergio Garcia are out at 0942. That should keep you entertained this morning. If I've not mentioned your favourite, there is a full list of tee times on the BBC Sport website.

If I could just mark your card with a few of the bigger names to look out for this morning. Three Open champions, Sandy Lyle of Scotland and American duo Todd Hamilton and Mark Calcavecchia are out at 0703. I know, you'd rather know about Donald, Westwood, Tiger Woods and defending champion Darren Clarke...

Lytham is the only course on the Open rota to start with a par three. It's not an easy tee shot though - seven bunkers protect the opening green. However, James Driscoll of the United States and South Africa's Garth Mulroy are playing with Lane and they follow the Englishman into the heart of the green. It may be overcast but the rain and wind are holding off at present.

I can't see him, but I can hear him on BBC Radio 5 live. Here's legendary starter Ivor Robson. Do I detect a few nerves there as he stumbles over the number of Open Championships that have been played. "On the tee from England, Barry Lane," he says after welcoming everyone to Royal Lytham and St Annes. The 52-year-old finds the heart of the first green and the 141st Open is under way.

Need a few more pointers? World number one Luke Donald is taking inspiration from Seve Ballesteros the Spaniard who won two of his three Open Championships at Lytham. World number three Lee Westwood believes he has the all-round game to conquer Lytham and win his first major. I'll come back to this, we are about to get going.

The question we all want to know the answer to is, who will win? Some of the finest golfing brains from the media have been talking to BBC Sport's Rob Hodgetts and offering their opinions.

English golfer Lane is first out at 06:30 BST - the first of 156 players all hoping that this will be their week to lift the Claret Jug and be crowned champion golfer of 2012.

Hello and welcome to live text commentary of the first round of the finest golf tournament on the planet. Royal Lytham and St Annes on the Fylde coast is hosting its 11th Open Championship.

"It is a gentle par three. It won't be that daunting," said Barry Lane, the man who will hit the first shot at the 141st Open Championship in around 30 minutes. Wonder if he's still thinking that right now?