
Darren Clarke carded a very respectable level-par 71 in front of his home fans on day one of The Open at Royal Portrush.
An emotional Clarke struck the very first shot of the tournament and duly went on to make a birdie...
.@DarrenClarke60 has the honour of hitting the first tee shot at The 148th Open and we are underway! #TheOpen
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2019
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Birdie at the 1st! @DarrenClarke60 leads #TheOpen
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2019
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The former Open winner then birdied the third and fifth to move to 3-under, but soon slipped back into the pack on the back nine with an eventual round of 71.