The final major of the year gets underway with the 152nd Open Championship. The tournament is being held at Royal Troon in Scotland, eight years after a memorable final round duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson captured the excitement of the crowd when it was last held there.
Brian Harman returns as reigning champion after a surprisingly convincing six-stroke victory at Royal Liverpool last year. The American now has the chance to become the first player since Padraig Harrington to win back-to-back editions of The Open.
World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is the favourite for the tournament, playing his first match since winning the Travelers Championship last month and chasing a seventh victory in 11 starts. Rory McIlroy leads Britain’s hopes after his heartbreaking US Open and insists he is ‘closer than ever’ to a fifth major title.
The last six men’s majors have all been won by Americans, including PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau.
Follow live coverage of the 152nd Open Championship below:
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Rose, Kirk, McNealy, Kim; -1 Scott, Finau, Thomas, Henley
Hojgaard makes the putt for par and ends the day on 69, two under and equal with clubhouse leader Alex Noren.
Justin Rose is now also on the 18th and his approach shot – from 137 metres – goes over the pin, but gives him the chance of a birdie.
Thomas tees off on the 17th, opening the pin and the bunker on the green, with a slim chance of birdie.
McNealy has joined the leaders at -2. Harman, who was one over par when he started the back nine, hits within a few feet of the pin with his third strike of the ninth.
McIlroy double-bogeyed the eighth, so he’s at +2. He also cuts into the rough with his tee shot on the ninth.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 12:31
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Rose, Kirk, McNealy, Kim; -1 Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
Rose came pretty close to a hole-in-one, as his tee shot just missed the hole on the 17th. His putt for birdie, however, fell just a little short.
Adam Scott tries to find the leaders again on his final hole of the day, and his second shot puts him on the green with a good chance of birdie. He hits the ball wide, but he should make par.
Hojgaard is looking for an outright lead when he finishes, and his second shot of the hole also gives him a fair chance of birdie. He drags it wide too, but he will go in with the lead.
Back to McIlroy on the bunker on the eighth… he chips it out but it rolls back, and he’s stunned. He does get out on the third shot. He also misses the bogey attempt…
On the 10th, Rahm narrowly misses one of the day’s best shots as his chip misses the ball, but he still scores par.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 12:22
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Roos, Kirk, Kim; -1 Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
McIlroy has a thirty-foot putt for birdie in the seventh, but he hits the ball wide.
A measured chip takes Harman out of the greenside bunker on the eighth, but he will struggle to make par here. A moment later, McIlroy’s tee shot on the same hole rolls wide and into the same bunker.
Hojgaard putts for par on the 17th hole and stays among the leaders.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 12:14
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Roos, Kirk, Kim; -1 Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
Kim makes par on the third hole to stay among the leaders at -2, although Adam Scott and Russell Henley have dropped back to -1.
DeChambeau is now six over after only eight holes, when he hit the Postage Stamp eighth hole.
Thomas chips the green with his third shot on the 15th, but he won’t make birdie here. He does make par.
Rose’s third shot on the par-five 16th hole puts him within striking distance of the birdie that would give him an outright lead.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 12:05
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Scott, Rose, Kirk, Henley, Kim; -1 Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
Thomas tees off on the 15th hole and tries to get back into the lead group, but his shot ends up in the rough.
Hojgaard tees off on the par-three 17th, but his shot goes over the pin. On the 16th, Rose lands his tee shot in the fairway and narrowly misses the bunker with his second shot, giving him a potential birdie shot.
McIlroy’s approach shot in the seventh is a bit too high, but he’s still on par.
Harman misses his birdie attempt in the seventh inning, with a difficult putt from left to right that lands wide.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 12:00
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Norwegians, Hojgaard, Scott, Rose, Kirk, Henley, Kim; -1 Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
Rose is still -2 when he tees off on the par-five 16th hole, while Hojgaard is -2 after birdieing the same hole.
Finau’s birdie putt on the ninth hole is just out, but he taps the hole in for par and remains at -1.
Rahm plays into the wind with his second shot on the ninth hole, landing from 185 yards out from the green.
McIlroy is still tied in the seventh inning.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 11:56 AM
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Roos, Henley, Noren, Scott, Kim; -1 Hojgaard, Wallace, Olesen, Thomas
Rahm has his first birdie of the day when he putsts on the eighth, and he’s at even par. Kim has also birdied his second hole of the day, so he’s at -2.
Justin Thomas starts the 14th with a tee shot that lands just wide of the green, while Rose should make par after chipping onto the green on the 15th.
A good approach from Finau gives him a good chance of birdie, while McIlroy misses the red and makes par again after misjudging his birdie putt.
DeChambeau begins the par-3 eighth hole with a shot that goes over the green and into the rough.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 11:50 AM
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Thomas, Roos, Henley, Noren, Scott; -1 Hojgaard, Wallace, Olesen
McIlroy’s tee shot on the sixth is good, as is Home’s, both hitting a few yards apart, right of the fairway.
Thomas landed in the rough with his tee shot on the 13th, but his second shot took him to the fairway before he chipped the green with his third. He missed par but should tap for bogey.
Finau made a birdie on the eighth hole and is now one stroke behind the leaders.
Harman just manages to reach the green with his third shot on the sixth hole, but his birdie attempt goes over the pin.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 11:40 AM
-2 Thomas, Roos, Henley, Noren, Scott; -1 Hojgaard, Wallace, Olesen
Adam Scott is back to -2 after birdieing the 15th.
DeChambeau is in trouble here, as he hits another double bogey and is +5 after the sixth. Rahm is also frustrated, as his birdie putt narrowly misses.
Meanwhile, a brilliant chip from 23 yards has taken Minkyu Kim to -1 on the first hole.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 11:33 AM
The Open 2024: Latest updates
-2 Thomas, Roos, Henley, Norwegians; -1 Hojgaard, Scott, Wallace, Olesen
Pars to McIlroy, Homa and Hatton in the fourth at bat.
Matteo Manassero misses par as his putt skims the hole, but he is now back on par.
Rahm is deep in the rough, but he manages to hit the ball out. His shot narrowly misses the pin, but gives him a good chance to score par.
Rose gets a chance for birdie with a great putt, but the ball just misses and he will likely remain at -2.
Chris WilsonJuly 18, 2024 11:28 AM