Troon, United Kingdom: Rory McIlroy is finely poised at the British Open after a two-under-par first round of 69 kept him in touch with the leaders at Troon on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman sits three shots adrift of clubhouse leader Patrick Reed of the United States after the kind of round that was familiar to most of the field going out in the morning.
There was glorious sunshine on the Ayrshire coast, but the breeze off the sea made life difficult on the back nine.
McIlroy had four birdies on the front nine, including one at the par-three eighth, known as the Postage Stamp.
But a double-bogey six at the 13th took away his momentum and a bogey at the short 14th followed before he recovered a shot at the next hole.
McIlroy, the 2014 Open champion, is in a better position than American prodigy Spieth, who had an unremarkable opening 71, a level-par round featuring three birdies and three bogeys.
The 2015 Masters and US Open champion looked set to end the day under par but dropped a stroke at the 18th.
“I probably hit it as well as anybody in the field and shot five, six shots over the leader, so that normally doesn’t happen for me,” Spieth said.
“That’s normally my really low round. So if I can keep my rhythm and my swing as we lead into these tougher condition days, the next couple days, I should be able to make up some strokes.”
With rain and wind forecast for Friday and Saturday, world number one Day also has ground to make up after a two-over-par 73 to start.
The Australian birdied the third and long sixth but had four bogeys, including at the Postage Stamp and at the last. “I think if I’m patient and I just start hitting the correct shots and give myself the opportunities, I can get myself back in the tournament,” Day said.
