KEEP THAT CARD

Shane Lowry: The bearded under-the-radar fellow from across the Irish border made just one bogey in an otherwise stellar 4-under 67 that has him one shot behind leader J.B. Holmes.

TOSS THAT CARD

Rory McIlroy: The betting favorite from Northern Ireland went out of bounds with his very first shot, carded an quadruple-bogey 8 on the opening hole and signed for an 8-over 79.

ON THE COURSE WITH …

Graeme McDowell: He had to wipe a tear from his eye when he teed off in his hometown. That gave way to frustration at the end. McDowell, born and raised in Portrush and a member at adjacent Rathmore Golf Club, was one shot out of the early lead when he three-putted for bogey on the 15th and dropped another shot on the 17th. Then, he sent his drive well to the right on the 18th hole into grass so thick that he never found the golf ball in the three minutes allowed for the search. He went back to the tee for his third shot and missed a 7-foot putt to take triple bogey.

open MOMENT

David Duval lost a few golf balls on his own Thursday. It's one that was found that brought him the wrong kind of attention with a score of 14 on one hole and a 91 when he walked off Royal Portrush. Duval carded a quadruple-bogey 8 on the downwind fifth hole because of two lost balls. And that wasn't the worst of it. At the par-5 seventh, Duval sent his tee shot into high grass where it was likely to be lost, so he hit a provisional. Duval received a two-shot penalty for playing the wrong ball — this after already getting two shots for losing the original tee shot. Moreover, the provisional ball was deemed lost so that was another two shots. The only way to account for playing the wrong ball was to return to the tee to start over, and limp toward the second-highest single-hole score in British Open history.

CHIP SHOTS

• Phil Mickelson, playing for the first time since losing 18 pounds following a missed cut at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, shot 5-over 76.

• Former Gophers golfer Erik van Rooyen, who tied for 17th at last year's British Open at Carnoustie, bogeyed two of his final four holes and shot 1 under.

• Ryan Fox's 29 was the lowest inward-nine score in British Open history.

• Emiliano Grillo recorded an ace on the par-3 13th.

KEY HOLE

Par-4, 421-yard No. 1: Darren Clarke hit the opening tee shot as the British Open returned to Irish soil for the first time in 68 years. And then it got even better for Clarke, the 50-year-old from Northern Ireland who holed a 15-foot putt for birdie to start his round. Four hours later, McIlroy hit his opening tee shot out of bounds on his way to a quadruple-bogey 8.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Just one of those God-awful nightmare scenarios."

— Duval, after his 14.

TWEET OF THE DAY

"Not sure which I like more ... watching the British Open or watching the golf 'purists' freak out when people call it the British Open."

— Atlanta-based freelance writer @MikeButeau

DAY 2

Wake up and tune in for the story lines. How many big names will survive the cut? Golf Channel has coverage until 3 p.m.

Compiled by BRIAN STENSAAS