Johnson sets the pace as McIlroy struggles

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson began the 142nd Open Championship in the same imperious style as last year's event, but there was no let up in the misery for world number two Rory McIlroy.

While Johnson, a 2007 winner at Augusta, carded a five-under 66 to set the clubhouse lead, McIlroy is already facing a battle to make the cut after a disastrous 79 left him 13 shots off the lead.

It was so bad at one point the 24-year-old putted that far past the flag on the 15th the ball travelled the full length of the green and ended up in a bunker, from where he made double-bogey.

But while the Northern Irishman toiled, Johnson, who opened last year's tournament at Royal Lytham with a 65, seemed to breeze round after an eagle at the 559-yard fifth kick-started his charge up the leaderboard.

After a birdie at the third, he picked up four shots in three holes to reach the turn in 31 and a 20-foot birdie on the 12th took him to six under before handing back a stroke two holes later and then parring his way home.

By contrast McIlroy, who has not won since changing his clubs at the start of the year, had four sixes on his card - two of which were double bogeys.

He managed just two birdies, both at par threes, and despite claiming he had found a new Nike driver he felt worked for him he hit just 35% of fairways - well below the 61% average for the rest of the field.

McIlroy - who yesterday told Nick Faldo he did not need his help after the six-time Major winner publicly offered some advice - labelled himself "brain dead" for some of his shot selections in going for pins which were not really achievable.

"Sometimes I feel like I am nearly walking around there and I'm unconscious," he said.

"I can't really fathom it at the moment, it is hard to tell you what's going wrong."