GMAC and Clarke Overshadow McIlroy

Thomas Bjorn with caddie

At the last number of Major's Rory McIroy has been leading after the first eighteen holes. But with Lady Luck barred from the Royal St. George Clubhouse it was not a good sign, as the US Open Champion Rory McIlroy teed off just after nine in the morning at The Open Championship - in his first action since Congressional - favourite to win back to back majors.  

In an earlier group the first reserve, Thomas Bjorn, set off at 7.25am having only arrived on Monday to Kent, after the withdrawal of Vijah Singh gave him a spot in The Open, leaving him no time to prepare. Having lost his Father within the past eight weeks, the thought of returning to visit the 16th hole where he dropped two shots in the 2003 Open - to lose the Major that was his to win - might not have been top of the Dane;s agenda.

But as always happens on day one of The Open, the script tends to write itself and as McIlroy bogeyed two of the first three holes, Bjorn set about carding a five under par round of 65 to set the early pace and lead the tournament.

Another twist in the tale came when the Amateur, Tom Lewis, finished his round with a birdie on the 18th to tie for the lead with Bjorn - playing in a group that included Tom Watson - after whom he was named.

In the afternoon two other Northern Ireland golfers reminded us of their intentions, with Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke carding tow under par 68's, delightfully stealing a little bit of the McIlroy limelight.

With the sun setting on the the Kent Coast on Thursday evening the likelihood of McIlroy  repeating the feat of Johnny Miller in 1976 seemed less likely. Although given the seven shot swing on day two last year at St Andrews on day two, The Open Championship is not the place to make predictions.

The other challenger looking for back to back wins, Luke Donald,  was also drawn in the tougher morning conditions and signed for a one over par 71 with the world Number 1 relaxed in the knowledge that there are still three rounds to go. Enough time to what he did last Sunday at Castle Stuart.

Similarly Lee Westwood will be hoping his luck will be more favoured on day two to allow him maintain the major chase into the weekend, with both players desperate to shake off that monkey, now that both have topped the world rankings during the past year.

The Open champion from 2010, Louis Oosthuizen struggled on the front nine and recovered with birdie on the run home to finish with a two over pr 72. His compatriot Carl Schwartzel also failed to master Royal St George as he did Augusta and ended one stroke better, on 71.

The Spanish battle was brought by El Mecanico, who carded a round of 66 with Miguel Angel Jimenez showing masterful touch around the Kent links, finishing two shots ahead of Pablo Larrazabal. 

The in form Sergio Garcia finished level par on day one and comfortably within striking distance.

The 2007 and 2008 winner, Padraig Harrington, struggled on the opening day making the turn  in two over par and then compound9g things by signing for a double bogey at the fifteenth. However, on the seventeenth a birdie reduced the damage to a three over par total.

As the light faded on day one of The Open, Lucas Glover and Webb Simpson lead the US challenge with the eternally hopeful Phil Mickelson four shots back on level par - having missed one or two birdie putts during the day.

Ricky Barnes is the other American in the top ten with a round of 68, joining Martin Kaymer and Fredrik Andersson Hed.

On Friday the first group at the starters hut will be Peter Whitehead, Thomas Aiken and Spencer Levin and they tee off at 6:30,

140th Open Leaderboard

Waterford Crystal Official Sponsor

Waterford Crystal, one of the leading global brands in premium crystal, is announced as an Official Sponsor of the 2011 Irish Open, to be played at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, Co. Kerry, from July 28-31.

An iconic Irish brand, with strong connections to the game of golf over many decades, producing numerous trophies for top class tournaments around the world, Waterford Crystal are set to put their unique stamp on Ireland’s national Open.

As well as joining the family of event sponsors, a new bespoke Irish Open trophy has been commissioned and will be presented to the player who succeeds 2010 winner England’s Ross Fisher as the champion on Sunday July 31.

Additionally, Waterford Crystal will provide the prizes for one of the highlights of the week , the pre-tournament Pro-Am competition, while the glittering new trophy and a selection of Waterford Crystal’s superb range of products will be on display in the Tented Village at Killarney.

Gerry O’Keeffe, Waterford Crystal Sports Manager, said: "Waterford Crystal have a long tradition of providing hand crafted trophies to major sporting events around the world, including tennis, Formula 1, sailing and especially golf. We are, therefore, particularly delighted to continue our relationship with The Irish Open and the European Tour".

James Finnigan, Commercial Director of The Irish Open for The European Tour, said: “The European Tour has enjoyed a close association with Waterford Crystal over many years, and we are delighted to welcome an iconic and recognisable Irish company supporting the Irish Open. “

The Irish Open is one of the longest and most prestigious tournament on The European Tour, dating back to the inaugural event at Portmarnock in 1927, won by Scotland’s George Duncan. Other champions down the years have included Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.

Seve remembered at Royal St George

All the players at this week's Open Championship in Sandwich have signed a book of remembrance for the late Seve Ballesteros.

Three-time winner Ballesteros, the most charismatic European golfer in history, died in May at the age of just 54 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with a brain tumour.

A number of other tributes will be made during the week, with an article in the official programme and numerous photos of the Spaniard around the site, while his image will appear on the drawsheets each day, with the proceeds from those being donated to his charitable foundation.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said: "We placed a book of remembrance at the registration for all the players to sign, and all of them have done so, and some of them have chosen - in fact the majority - to write a message in that book.

"That book will be passed on to Seve's family as a memento of this year's championship, of course, but more particularly of Seve's connection with The Open.

"The players were invited to give their messages in private and I don't think it would be right for me to publish them without a particular player's consent, but the thrust of all the messages was what a wonderful inspiration Seve had been to golfers the world over and particularly in Europe, and many of them actually said that Seve was their own inspiration to playing golf.

"He was the guy they all watched when they were kids and so on, and that he was going to be greatly missed. That was the general thrust of what everyone had to say."

Ballesteros won the first of his five Majors at Royal Lytham in 1979. He was 22 at the time and just a month older than new US Open Champion Rory McIlroy is now.

St Andrews in 1984 was the scene for his greatest triumph, his closing birdie denying Tom Watson the chance for a record-equalling sixth victory, and it was back at Lytham four years later that he shot a closing 65 to win again.

Seve wins 1985 Carrolls Irish Open