Johnson leads after tough day

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson today began the 142nd Open Championship in the same imperious style as he did the 141st, but there was no let up in the misery for world number two Rory McIlroy.

While Ian Poulter labelled some of the pin positions at a parched Muirfield as “a joke”, McIlroy blamed himself for a “brain dead” round of 79 which left him 13 shots off Johnson’s lead.