Leishman makes strong start, McIlroy leads
Australian Marc Leishman made the most of glorious 条件s at 王室の Liverpool to put himself in the 早期に British Open mix behind impressive clubhouse leader Rory McIlroy.
Leishman carded a three-under-par 69 in his 開始 一連の会議、交渉／完成する on Thursday before Northern Irishman McIlroy 解雇する／砲火／射撃d a 66 to lead the morning starters.
Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd overcame a poor start in his much-心配するd return to major ゴルフ, matching Leishman's 一連の会議、交渉／完成する to make an encouraging start at Hoylake.
While 支持を得ようと努めるd had to fight 支援する from making two 早期に bogeys, Leishman was strong and 安定した throughout a still, sunny morning.
The Victorian, playing in the fourth group of the day, made birdies on three of the historic course's four par 5s, with a bogey on the par-4 12th the only blemish on his card.
He could have gone even lower had he 変えるd a string of makeable birdie putts on the 支援する nine, but Leishman was 満足させるd with his start.
"I said to my caddie on about the third or fourth 穴を開ける `I've really got to go low today'," Leishman said.
"It was definitely in my mind that I needed to take advantage of the benign 条件s.
"If it gets 風の強い tomorrow afternoon, I might need a couple of 発射s up my sleeve."
Leishman is no stranger to 競うing 早期に in a major, having done so at last year's US Masters, but he's bidding to make his 示す at the British Open for the first time having never f inished better than 60th.
"I 攻撃する，衝突する the ball probably 同様に as I have all year today," Leishman said.
"It's definitely a good start and something to build on."
Fellow Australian Matt Jones also made an encouraging start, 回復するing superbly to card a one-under 71 after making 支援する-to-支援する 二塁打 bogeys 早期に in his 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.
Jones birdied the first three 穴を開けるs on the 支援する nine and finished with an eagle on the par-5 18th, chipping in from the （船に）燃料を積み込む／（軍）地下えんぺい壕 to cap a tremendous fightback.
"It was a 堅い start but I've been hitting it 井戸／弁護士席 this week and I knew if I kept going I could get it 支援する," said Jones, playing in his first British Open.
World No.8 McIlroy had 予報するd 王室の Liverpool's par 5s, all reachable in two 発射s, would 持つ／拘留する the 重要な to victory and like Leishman he birdied three of them in a flawless 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.
支持を得ようと努めるd, playing in his first major since 支援する 外科, bogeyed the first two 穴を開けるs but made five birdies in the space of six 穴を開けるs on the 支援する nine.
Italian Matteo Manassero was second-best of the morning 次第で変わる／派遣部隊, sitting one 発射 behind McIlroy, while his countrymen - brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari - opened with matching 68s.
Australian big guns Adam Scott and Jason Day were の中で those 予定 to play afternoon 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs.
