Lowry's grit sums up challenge on Open's fascinating first day at Royal Portrush

Shane Lowry is happy to be up and running at The Open as he gets a bit of luck in what was a tricky opening round.

A RUB OF THE GREEN: It was a mentally draining opening day at The Open with the weather playing its part making it a tricky opening round but some luck did fall the way of Shane Lowry. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Luck. Everyone needs it. Guts too. All the more so on a world-class links course where some of the pin positions on day one had players wondering if it was already Sunday. And in conditions overhead and underfoot that kept the field guessing, adapting and scrambling.

Players and spectators donned waterproofs and then tore them off again as the Dunluce course mixed mugginess with rain and sunshine, and the benign with the brutal. It all amounted to a compelling test of creativity, execution and grit.