Cameron Smith, Adam Scott lead Australian charge after wet and windy opening round at Royal Portrush

Umbrellas were up and jumpers were on at Royal Portrush, but while the sun was out early, an Australian star tried to refind his major mojo.

Cameron Smith spent longer trudging around Royal Portrush in the opening round of the The Open than he would have liked as he endured slow going and tough conditions but birdied one of the hardest holes on the course to lead the Australian contingent.

In a marked turnaround from his recent major form, having missed four-straight cuts stretching back to last year’s Open, Smith carded a one-over 72, saving a round he conceded “could have got away from me” to be just five shots off a shared lead.

Smith was lucky he was off early, with some of the later rounds stretching to more than six hours as wind and rain lashed the coastal course, limiting big scores.

Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark, China’s Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpatrick, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and American Harris English lead at four-under.

Cameron Smith is the best of the Australians with Adam Scott. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The 2022 Open champ started with a bogey and then rode a rollercoaster with another two bogeys matched by three birdies.

But he didn’t drop a shot on the tough back nine after giving himself a “talking to” and birdied the par three 16th, dubbed “Calamity Corner”, to end his round on a high.

“Not the greatest start to a major championship I’ve ever had, but from there it was actually all right,” he said.

“Could have really got away from me, I think.

“Gave myself a little bit of a talking to through nine and played that last nine really solidly.

“I hung in there nicely and committed to some swings, which I’ve been doing the last few times out.”

Playing his 97th consecutive major, Scott joined Smith on one-over after a bogey on the last but walked away happy given the conditions.

“It could have got away,” Scott said of his 72.

“I don’t know; it felt like we teed off in the rain and played the whole lot in the rain. It was tricky at times, but my golf was OK. Shame about the last.

“It is handy having birdies. I’d like to have some more stretches like that.”

Jason Day made another fashion statement at the British Open. Picture: AP Photo/Peter Morrison

Behind Scott was Jason Day and Marc Leishman (+2), Min Woo Lee (+3), Lucas Herbert (+3), Elvis Smylie (+4) and Curtis Luck (+9).

Former bikie and one-time prisoner Ryan Peake, making his major championship debut in a group with Phil Mickelson, shot a six-over 77, which also included a birdie on the par three 16th, but faces a battle to make the cut.

Playing in the afternoon as the weather was at it’s worst, Leishman said it felt like the round took “12 hours)

“We’ve been on the course for three hours through eight holes. That was tough to deal with, especially coming from somewhere where we play in under 4 1/2 every week,” he said.

Day also opened with a bogey, closed his front nine with two more but found two birdies during a grinding back nine

“That’s all you can do,” Day said.

“My process out there was actually quite horrific … After I got onto the back side, I started kind of focusing a little bit better, get the process right.”

Australian Scores

(leaders at 4-under)

Cameron Smith 72 (+1)

Adam Scott 72 (+1)

Jason Day 73 (+2)

Marc Leishman 73 (+2)

Lucas Herbert 74 (+3)

Min Woo Lee 74 (+3)

Elvis Smylie 75 (+4)

Ryan Peake 77 (+6)

Curtis Luck 80 (+9)

Originally published as Cameron Smith, Adam Scott lead Australian charge after wet and windy opening round at Royal Portrush