That was set by McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick, whose 67 was the lowest opening round of his major career, world number 354 Jacob Skov Olesen, China’s Li Haotong, South African Chris Bezuidenhout and American Harris English.

Rain lashed from above, North Atlantic winds pummeled from the side, and thousands of excited, umbrella-wielding shapes swirled amongst it all, yet the man at the eye of the storm remained entirely unflustered.

Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark has been indefinitely banned from Oakmont Country Club after he caused extensive damage to lockers in the clubhouse during this year's Championship

The hometown hero is back at Royal Portrush, but Rory McIlroy was poor off the tee again as the Open Championship rolls on.

The first handful of groups are off in Country Antrim and it is two Danes that are leading the way: Nicolai Hojgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen who are both one under. Padraig Harrington, a two-time winner of the Open, was at one under very briefly but has dropped back to level par.

The home favourite endured a rollercoaster day as The Open returned to Portrush for the first time since he missed the cut in 2019, but despite only hitting two fairways he managed to finish under par

Rory McIlroy looked like delivering the show the thousands who had flocked to Royal Portrush to cheer their returning hero expected, only for his bid for the first-round Open lead to collapse in the space of four holes on the back nine.

Wyndham Clark has been banned from Oakmont Country Club after he caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the clubhouse in a fit of rage in June

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Rory McIlroy's nightmare start to The Open Championship at Royal Portrush six years ago left a lasting impact on Tom McKibbin, who was feeling the nerves ahead of his opening round

Defending champion Xander Schauffele said his level-par 71 "wasn't a very exciting round", while 55-year-old Phil Mickelson carded his best Open round since 2018 to sit one under, holing a bunker shot for par at the third, having left his first attempt in the sand.

ROYAL PORTRUSH — The Masters took four days to drain the Rory McIlroy fan base of emotional resource. Northern Ireland might well run out of tranquilisers come Sunday should McIlroy get that far. No eight on the card, yet, but tumult aplenty on the opening day in Portrush.