The Latest on first round of The British Open (all times local):
7:45 a.m.
Darren Clarke considered the opening tee shot on home soil to be an honor.
That doesn't mean it was ceremonial.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke hits his tee shot on the 5th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 18, 2019.(AP PhotoMatt Dunham)
The 50-year-old Clarke, whose game was honed at Royal Portrush as a junior, birdied the opening hole to throaty applause. And then he birdied the par-3 third and the tough fifth that runs out toward the North Atlantic.
That put him at 3 under heading to the sixth hole.
With only a light breeze and a links slightly softened by rain, Royal Portrush was not at its toughest. But of the 18 players to have completed one hole, five were under par.
7 a.m.
Darren Clarke never hit a tee shot at Royal Portrush quite like this.
The silver claret jug on display next to him, Clarke hit the opening tee shot Thursday as the British Open returned to Irish soil for the first time in 68 years. And then it got even better for Clarke, the 50-year-old from Northern Ireland who now calls Portrush home.
He holed a 15-foot putt for birdie to start his round.
Clarke won the Open in 2011 at Royal St. George's and did not hesitate when the R&A asked if he would be willing to be the first to play. He hasn't received such a hearty reception on the opening tee since The K Club in Ireland in 2006 for the Ryder Cup.
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