Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes an unhappy Jon Rahm is hoping for a deal between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to revive his game.

Rahm has finished in the top 10 of all nine LIV events he has played since his shock move to the Saudi-funded breakaway, but his performances in this year’s majors have been hugely disappointing.

The Ryder Cup star was 45th in the defence of his Masters title and missed the cut in the US PGA Championship before being forced to withdraw from the US Open – which he won in 2021 – due to a toe injury.

England’s Matt Wallace carded the first eagle of the 152nd Open Championship to catapult himself into a share of the lead at Royal Troon on a testing first morning of unfamiliar winds and intermittent showers.

The 34-year-old had to come through final qualifying last year only to miss the cut at Hoylake but had no such worries this summer after finishing 20th on the DP World Tour rankings.

He had a brilliant start as, after a birdie at the second, he holed out from the semi-rough at the 612-yard fourth to leap to three under and into a share of the lead with American two-time major winner Justin Thomas, who himself missed the cut last year, after he birdied seven and eight.

A month after McIlroy’s nightmare finish at Pinehurst helped DeChambeau claim a second US Open title, the pair were facing an uphill battle simply to make the cut in the year’s final major at Royal Troon.

McIlroy was level par after seven holes of his opening round before running up a double bogey on the signature par-three eighth, the Northern Irishman’s first attempt to escape a bunker on the Postage Stamp coming back to his feet.

Scottie Scheffler features in an all-American three-ball with Jordan Spieth and Cameron Young. Here are the tee times for round two at the Ayrshire course:

Daniel Brown is the shock leader of the Open after round one with Shane Lowry just one back in pursuit of a second Open title.

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of The Open Championship. The second round begins shortly with Ewen Ferguson (Sco) and Marcel Siem (Ger) teeing off at 6.35am.

First though let’s take a look at the big stories from yesterday’s action.

A downbeat Rory McIlroy effectively dismissed his chances of mounting a challenge for the 152nd Open after struggling to an opening 78 at Royal Troon.

McIlroy was level par after seven holes before running up a double bogey on the signature par-three eighth, the Northern Irishman’s first attempt to escape a bunker on the Postage Stamp coming back to his feet.

With the back nine playing downwind McIlroy was hopeful of repairing the damage, only to drive out of bounds on the 11th to run up another double bogey and eventually finish seven over par, 10 shots behind clubhouse leader Justin Thomas.