Padraig Harrington gets Open under way at Royal Portrush – UK Times

Two-time champion Padraig Harrington got the 153rd Open Championship under way, backed by loud Irish support at Royal Portrush.

With watery sunshine breaking through the clouds overhead and a stiff breeze blowing right-to-left and into his face the 53-year-old, who won back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, was given the honour of hitting the opening shot at 6.35am.

Harrington took an iron and hit the middle of the fairway – which was more than Rory McIlroy did six years ago when the tournament returned to the Dunluce Links after finding out of bounds down the left on his first morning – and responded with a beaming smile.

Despite being given the honour Harrington, who won the US Senior Open a fortnight ago, is determined to compete as he bids to become the oldest winner of the Claret Jug.

“I still think I’m a player but I’m quite happy to take the ceremonial position of hitting the first shot. I have to create my own reality and in my reality I can win,” he said on Wednesday.

There was almost as much noise for 22-year-old Tom McKibbin, from McIlroy’s Holywood club an hour down the road, whose tee shot crept into the left rough, while Ryder Cup winner Nicolai Hojgaard also found the fairway.

The morning starters, which included world number one and US PGA champion Scottie Scheffler playing alongside Irish 2019 champion Shane Lowry and former winner Collin Morikawa off at 10.09am, were likely to get the best of the weather.

That also meant the group ahead of Xander Schauffele, beginning his defence of the Claret Jug, Jon Rahm and US Open champion JJ Spaun would also be likely beneficiaries.

Conversely McIlroy, not due out until 3.10pm with Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and American rival Justin Thomas, was facing a greater chance of rain, some of it heavy, with winds gusting up to 20mph.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, second at last month’s US Open, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth, European Ryder Cup partners Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland, were also paired together in the two groups immediately prior to McIlroy.