A brilliant approach leads to a routine birdie and Russell Henley gets the shot back on the 10th that he lost at the ninth.

He's back at level par, with playing partners Viktor Hovland and Justin Rose making par fours.

Dan Brown!

His outstanding run of holes continues at the par-five 17th with a fine chip to five feet and a nerveless putt.

That moves him one clear at the top of the leaderboard. Remember, he shot 65 two years at Troon to lead after day one - and a birdie at the last could ensure history repeats itself.

Sungjae Im is going nowhere, well apart from to the top of the leaderboard.

The South Korean makes hay on the par-five 17th, missing right with his second but then getting up and down from the rough to card his fifth birdie of the round.

Oh my word. Where is Tyrrell Hatton going off the ninth tee? The Englishman sails about 70 yards right and gets a huge slice of good fortune to find a path well beyond all the rough.

Bryson DeChambeau is left, while metronome Scottie Scheffler finds the fairway with his tee shot.

Image source, Getty Images

A par at the ninth hole at least stops the bleeding for Justin Rose after a tricky run of four bogeys in five holes. He makes the turn at three over par.

Russell Henley drops a shot though after finding the rough off the tee, while Viktor Hovland closes out the front nine at one under.

Longish birdie putts on the eighth all result in pars for Scottie, Tyrrell and Bryson. A very solid hole for all three.

Just! Tommy Fleetwood leaves himself with work to do as 'one of those' putts for par of about six feet on the short seventh, and the ball just about gets home as it's runing out of steam - but he gave it just enough.

Jordan Spieth was up and walking after his birdie putt right off the bat so that never stood a chance, while Jon Rahm's putter continues to misbehave as a wonderful iron shot set him up with four feet for birdie - but again he misses his chance.

The Spaniard has already left a couple of shots out there at least due to his putting.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

Another hero’s welcome for Tommy Fleetwood when he strodes towards the seventh green. Probably the largest ovation yet.

Surrounded by a steep grandstand, and the natural viewing points of the dunes, this is about as atmospheric as Birkdale gets.

The warm reception reverberated around this picturesque corner of the course.

A fine 14-foot birdie putt from Dan Brown at the 16th gets him back up to three under par and a share of the lead.

It has been an entertaining back nine from the Englishman, with just one par on the scorecard since his seventh hole (six birdies, two bogeys)

James Gregg
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator at Royal Birkdale

Image source, Getty Images

Since five years ago when the R&A started this ceremonial opening shot, they try and make it special for a homegrown hero or a past champion. It was fitting that Matthew Baldwin hit that first tee shot.

After Baldwin's two-over 72 opening round, he said: "I remember waving at a couple of people, but at the end of the day, your focus is obviously hitting the golf shot, isn't it? There's time to wave at people after, I guess."

Like Tommy Fleetwood, Baldwin grew up in Southport, and he is a member here. The grand stand was packed out and all the way down the first fairway.

What other sporting event do you get that many people cheering on a top-class sport at 06:35?

"I couldn't have asked for more support-wise. It took me back, to be honest," added Baldwin.

Image source, Getty Images

Talk about a stroke of luck... Bryson DeChambeau clatters his three-wood off the eighth tee and immediately up goes the shout of 'fore left'.

His ball looks to be heading towards the crowds and rope but gets an enormous kick back right and ends up rolling on to the fairway.

Oh dear, Jordan Spieth has to stick a six down on the sixth for a double bogey after his trp into the water hazard. The tee shot was the problem but Spieth did what players at this level really shouldn't do and that's make the problem worse.

He got too aggressive on the second shot perched on top of a bunker, when a safer play would have at least taken six out of the equation.

Tommy Fleetwood's nice recovery from the right rough saw him make a safe enough par in the end.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

Birkdale doesn’t really have a signature hole, but if you had to pick one which sticks in the memory then I’d say the par-three seventh is up there.

It is just short but devilish. The green has been raised and run offs created, with the donut bunker in the left ready to gobble up any strays.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau both find the seventh green off the tee but Scottie Scheffler, who has been masterful with his longer irons gets his wedge shot all wrong and comes up a little short.

A very thin connection on his chip carries him a good 20 feet past towards the sprinkler covers and it's going to cost him a shot.

No danger of Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau doing the same, with both taking two putts on the green.

An animated Viktor Hovland gestures after missing from six feet for par at the eighth.

The Norwegian cuts a frustrated figure as he heads for the final hole of his front nine.

It's a third straight bogey for Justin Rose too, who needs to turn around his fortunes.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

When you hit the sixth you can almost sniff the sea. You can certainly see it. But even the binoculars aren’t powerful to pick out the Isle of Man.

This feels like the linkiest part of the course. The dunes are towering, the bunkers cavernous.

Saying that, I’ve already seen two photographers tumble over sandy mounds. Thankfully both human and equipment emerged unscathed.

Keep those eyes down!

Tommy Fleetwood is off target from the sixth tee and into some crispy brown fescue, but the recovery is immaculate, landing it softy on the green and leaving just 12 feet or so for birdie.

Jordan Spieth is in even bigger trouble though, perched on top of a bunker hitting his second, he thins it into the water hazard and has to take a penalty drop.

We've seen this movie before.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live

On Tommy Fleetwood's game suiting Royal Birkdale...

This course is very much approach heavy. You need to have good distance control and iron play and that is his strength. Driving distance is irrelevant. If you're purely looking at statistics, it is a great opportunity for him to win.

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, PA Media

Magnificent. Superb. Great ball control, once again from Scottie Scheffler. He rolled it in, dead weight into the middle of the cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler is a man that very much sticks to his plan and doesn't even really have a go at the sixth flag, with his second.

Instead he finds the landing area he was aiming for and looks fairly satisfied even if he'll be putting from 40 feet. The world number one drops it in mind and acknowledges the fans who cheer as his ball finds the bottom of the cup.

He now sits solo at the top of the leaderboard. Who was the last player to win The Open in consecutive years? Oh yeah Padraig Harrington, who is heading out later.

Tyrrell Hatton looks to be in bother after drifting right but plays a superb wedge from the longer grass to then tap in for par from four feet.

Bryson DeChambeau also snaffles a par on the hardest hole on the course.