Elvis Smylie felt the golfing gods were on his side as the young Australian upstaged global superstar Rory McIlroy to set the early pace at the Open at Royal Melbourne.

Smylie was the clubhouse leader at six-under 65 as the opening round got underway on Thursday, three strokes clear of the field.

Grand slam winner McIlroy had a rollercoaster round in tricky conditions on the windswept sandbelt course with the world No.2 finishing at one-over with five birdies against six bogeys.

Of the other tournament drawcards who were met by thousands out on course for the early tee times, Australian guns Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee were both at two-under while Cameron Smith sat at one-under.

Smylie's performance continued his stunning trajectory over the past 12 months after winning the 2024 Austra

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