British Open begins with rain, wind and big numbers

SOUTHPORT, England — Mark O'Meara was supposed to hit the first tee shot to start the 146th British Open. He wound up hitting two of them.

The British Open began Thursday morning with rain, wind and big numbers. O'Meara's opening drive on the notoriously tough first hole at Royal Birkdale rode the wind into the gorse bushes on the right. He hit another tee shot, this one into a bunker on the left.

British Open leaderboard

O'Meara, who won at Royal Birkdale in 1998 and is playing his final British Open, made quadruple-bogey 8. Ryan Moore took a double bogey and Chris Wood had to get up-and-down from 40 yards for a par.

It was an ominous start at a links course not known for low scoring.

Jordan Spieth is in the early mix at Royal Birkdale as he tries to add a British Open title to his collection of major championships. Ian Poulter also had quite the day, making only one bogey on his way to a 3-under 67 that gave him the clubhouse lead among early finishers.

Spieth, who narrowly missed getting in a playoff two years ago at St. Andrews, set the tone for his day when he slashed an iron out of the rough on the second hole to within 10 feet for his first birdie.

He added two more to finish off the front nine and was at 3 under on the back nine.

Spieth, who did not make a bogey through 12 holes, has won both the Masters and the U.S. Open but has yet to hoist a claret jug. Neither has Poulter, who is winless in major championships and looking to rebound from a long dry spell in his pro career.

The Englishman played steady before making birdie on the par-5 17th hole from the bunker, then getting up-and-down from another bunker on the 18th hole to post the lowest score so far at the Open.