The Northern Irish golfer carded his lowest opening round at The Open since his 63 at St Andrews in 2010 and will start the second round one shot ahead of Italian Matteo Manassero.

McIlroy's first birdie came at the par-four second where a 190-yard second shot landed yards away, before making further birdies at the fifth, sixth, 10th, 12th and 16th.

"It was just a real solid round of golf," McIlroy said.

"I hit it into the spots I needed to and took my pars on the tougher holes."

He starts the second round two shots in front of Adam Scott of Australia, Ireland's Shane Lowry, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Americans Jim Furyk and Brooks Koepka, and Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari.

Rickie Fowler of the United States finished the day in tenth place on three under par 69 alongside a group that included his compatriots Boo Weekley and Jimmy Walker, Sweden's Robert Karlsson, Australian Marc Leishman, and Japan's Koumei Oda and Yoshinobu Tsukada and Hideki Matsuyama.

Tiger Woods came back from consecutive bogeys to fire a three-under 69 ©AFP/Getty Images


Tiger Woods, who started his first round with consecutive bogeys but soon turned his form around to that which won him the 2006 tournament when the Open was last staged at Royal Liverpool, also features in the group after a birdie at the fifth and then five birdies in six holes from the 11th.

"I felt good about a lot of things out there," said the former world number one who has played only one tournament since having back surgery in March.

"Especially coming back from that start I had."

American defending champion Phil Mickelson took 74 and Justin Rose had an even-par 72, as did Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

Last month's US Open champion Martin Kaymer of Germany ended the day one over.

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