Five-way tie for lead on opening day of weather-dominated 153rd Open Championship

Five players shared the lead on 4 under par 67 after the opening 18 holes of the 153rd Open Championship played in difficult and unpredictable conditions at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

The lead group bore a distinctly international look and included Denmark qualifier Jacob Skov Olesen, Li Haotong of China, England's Matthew Fitzpatrick, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Harris English of the USA.

Pre-event favourite and world number one Scottie Scheffler (68) of the US was a stroke behind the leaders while local star Rory McIlroy battled the course and conditions in his roller-coaster 1 under 70, bogeying his opening hole and reaching three under before the back nine took a toll on his card.

But it was the duo of Olesen (world ranked 354) and Li who held centre-stage on a day sweeping winds and frequent spells of rain dogged the slow-moving field. Ranked 111, Li was the pick of the pack with a bogey-free run. "I think I had 18 highlights today. I tried to avoid a bogey and did it, which is great," the big-built Chinese said later. "It's very tough, brutal.”

Li’s four birdies came on holes five, seven, 10 and 17, while an up-and-down on nine to save par was probably the best of the lot.

Added Olesen, whose carded was blotted by a dropped shot on the 18th hole, ”Obviously, annoyed to finish off with a bogey and not getting it up in two from there. But it happens, and whether it happens on hole seven or hole 18, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.”

Of the five leaders, only England’s Fitzpatrick has won a major championship but on their heels was a vastly-experienced group that included besides Scheffler and McIlroy, past Open winners Brian Harman of the US and Irishman Shane Lowry, and defending champion Xander Schauffele of the US.

"Felt like I hit the ball nice off the tee, and really only had one swing I wasn't too happy with on maybe the second hole, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple rounds," Scheffler said while analysing his outing.

Grand Slam winner and McIlroy had a hot-and-cold round on Thursday, opening with a bogey before picking up four shots till hole 10 and then blotting his card with three bogeys in his next four holes. He then had a birdie-par sequence to end the day. 

"It was good," McIlroy said later. "I had it going three-under through 10 and let a few slip there around the middle of the round. I steadied the ship well, played the last four at one under, and it was nice to shoot under par.”

England's LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton and countryman Matthew Jordan, besides Thailand's monk-turned-golfer Sadom Kaewkanjana were alongside Scheffler on three under par.

Defending champion Schauffele returned a level par 71before saying he was satisfied with the day’s returns. “It's Thursday of a major. It's a positioning battle. You can kind of go out there and shoot a nice number, but it's really just trying to position yourself come the weekend.

“Maybe then it (2024 winner) will be an advantage. As of right now, the same nerves, the same kind of everything for a normal major.”