UPDATE 2-Golf-Lowry leads Open, abysmal start for McIlroy

Ireland's Shane Lowry was the early clubhouse leader as the first British Open in Northern Ireland for 68 years began on Thursday. Lowry completed his opening round on the par-71 Dunluce links at Royal Portrush with a 67.

American Webb Simpson bogeyed the last two holes to trail by a shot along with Spain's Sergio Garcia, Swede Alex Noren, South Africa's Dylan Frittelli and Scotland's Robert Macintyre, who also bogeyed the last. Local favourite Graeme McDowell drew loud cheers from the packed galleries as he also got to three under after 14 holes.

The 148th Open began with McDowell's compatriot Darren Clarke striking the first tee shot on an historic morning on the Antrim coast. Clarke was inspired early on with three birdies in his first five holes before ending with a level-par 71. Rory McIlroy, the third high-profile Northern Irishman, and the one tipped as a leading favourite, had an abysmal start on a rainy and breezy morning with fleeting bursts of sunhsine.

The 2014 champion, who first played the Portrush course as a child, was roared on to the tee but carded a quadruple bogey eight on the par-four first hole. His opening tee shot went out of bounds, breaking a spectator's phone in the process. His follow-up attempt off the tee found heavy rough and from there he struck his next shot into an unplayable lie in a bramble bush.

After taking a penalty drop, McIlroy chipped on to the green. He picked his ball out of the hole, to sympathetic applause, with an ugly eight on his card. The 30-year-old four-time major winner missed a birdie putt on the second and then bogeyed the par-three third after his tee shot went through the green into rough.

McIlroy repaired some of the damage with birdies at seven and nine and was three-over along with defending champion Francesco Molinari, who was also struggling. Ireland's Lowry thrilled the crowd by making three birdies on his outward nine and taking the lead with a birdie on the 12th hole to reach four under. He was eventually overtaken by Simpson who got to five under after 13 holes.

Simpson had played immaculate golf but faltered on the 17th and 18th holes, while Lowry finished with six successive pars. "I took my chances when I got them early on. I feel like I missed a couple at the start of my back nine, I missed a few chances. But look, I think four-under is a great score on that course and I'll take it any day," Lowry said.

Macintyre looked completely at home in his first Open, collecting birdies on his first two holes and an eagle at the fifth. After a couple of dropped shots he birdied the 17th to move into a share of the lead before dropping back. One of the biggest roars greeted Emiliano Grillo's hole-in-one on the par-three 13th. The 26-year-old Argentine's ace was the first at the Open since Louis Oosthuizen in 2016.

Later starters include Americans Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson as well as Englishman Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. Despite damp weather for a second successive day, fans arrived early and in number for the sold-out tournament, with the expected total attendance of 237,750 making it the best attended British Open outside of St Andrews in Scotland.