Rory not the only story on the Open's longest day

There are eclectic tales at the summit of this Open leaderboard.

- Ewan Murray

It just appeared as if nobody was minded to pay heed to them on a day when Rory McIlroy's competitive return to Northern Ireland turned every head and Scottie Scheffler performed his usual trick of hiding in plain sight.

McIlroy seemed to battle his game more than the elements for much of round one but emerged unscathed and under par. He lacks nothing in tenacity, a matter which is often overlooked and his 70 leaves him just three from the lead in what is a wonderfully congested major.

The problem for all involved may well be that Scheffler is already only one adrift after a round where he ranked 150th in driving accuracy. "When it's raining sideways, it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway," said Scheffler, needing only a saucer of milk. If Scheffler has finally cracked the Open code, it feels like a question of who will be second.

Harris English arrived without his caddie, Eric Larson being denied travel from the US because of a drug conviction from three decades ago. English wandered into a bustling Portrush bar on Wednesday evening without so much as head turns from locals.