Live updates |Matthew Jordan gets 151st Open started at Royal Liverpool #Live #updates #Matthew #Jordan #151st #Open #started #Royal #Liverpool

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Matthew Jordan has played Royal Liverpool hundreds of times. Thursday morning was unlike any other. He hit the opening tee shot in the 151st edition of the British Open.

Jordan received a rousing ovation from the grandstand behind the first tee, and then hit driver just left of the pot bunker into the rough. He put his next shot into a bunker left of the green and holed an 8-foot par putt.

It’s not unusual for the R&A to have the first shot struck by a player with local connections. Jordan is different. He is a member at Royal Liverpool and has been since he was a teenager. He made it through qualifying to get into his first British Open.

England's Tommy Fleetwood signs autographs on the 12th tee during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The Open starts Thursday, July 20. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Tommy Fleetwood has experience of seeing a wave of support carry a home favorite all the way to the claret jug.

Chile's Joaquin Niemann plays his tee shot on the 12th hole during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The Open starts Thursday, July 20. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Some LIV Golf players have arrived for the British Open facing the prospect of playing in a major for the last time because of the uncertain future in golf.

Spain's Jon Rahm plays out of a bunker on the 9th green during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The Open starts Thursday, July 20. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The ever-changing nature of links golf has come to Royal Liverpool for the British Open. A month ago the grass was brown during a heat wave.

South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout, bottom right plays out of a bunker on the 17th hole during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. The Open starts Thursday, July 20. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Royal Liverpool is filled with rich golf history but it’s the redesigned 17th hole that is getting most of the attention ahead of the British Open this week.

Jordan gave the gallery more reason to cheer with a birdie on the second hole. Russell Henley would love to have his start back. Playing in the second group, he made double bogey.

The R&A is expecting 260,000 fans for the week.