When England's World Cup hopes were extinguished, it paved the way for the home golfers to take centre stage at the Birkdale Open - led by the colourful Dan Brown.

England's Dan Brown and his Korean playing partner Im Sung-jae are tied second after Thursday's first round at the Open -3 T Detry (Bel), R MacIntyre (Sco), F Molinari (Ita), A Smalley (US), B DeChambeau (US), R Gerard (US), MJ Daffue (SA), P Coody (US), C Young (US) English hopes for a first Open winner for 34 years were boosted with eight players under par after the first round - but Masters champion Rory McIlroy ended the day seven shots off the lead. McIlroy endured a rollercoaster first round at Royal Birkdale which included six bogeys and four birdies in his two-over round of 72. American Jackson Suber leads the way on five under par, one shot ahead of England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Im Sung-jae. Sir Nick Faldo was the last English player to win The Open, at Muirfield in 1992. You have to go back to 1969 for the last English winner on English soil - Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham & St Annes. When England's hopes of winning the football World Cup were extinguished on Wednesday, it paved the way for the nation's top golfers to take centre stage and lift the mood of the Royal Birkdale crowd on Thursday. The 31-year-old from Yorkshire shot a four-under 66 early on day one of the 154th Open Championship, as he and Suber took advantage of scoreable early conditions on the Merseyside links.