Colin Montgomerie (65): "All this is, is a good start. I have never dreamt of any Thursday at the Open, but I have had a couple of dreams about Sundays."

Chris Di Marco (68): “I didn’t get off to the best of starts, I bogeyed the first and made a good birdie at the second. I then hit a really good iron down the middle on three that kicked dead right and I ended up making double-bogey. It would have been easy to fold but I hung in there and git it back to even and played great. I made seven birdies and putted real great.”

Pierre Fulke (69): “It is true that I have been struggling but I have been working hard on my game the past three weeks. I’ve been telling people not to worry and this was proof that it had never gone away. It was windy out there. It was tough and you had to hit some good shots to get a good score and that’s what I sort of did and I’m pleased. I love playing links golf and it’s great. This is a good golf course and I just enjoy playing it”

Alex Cejka (69): “I was putting very solid today and I kept out of trouble, which is the secret around here. I putted very well and I’m very happy with my score today. This year has been a little bit up and down. I’ve been playing really solid but just couldn’t score lately. I’ve just been playing a lot of tournaments and hanging in there.”

Jose Maria Olazabal (69): “My only problem in recent tournaments has been the driver, and I used it only three or four times today so in a way that helps the cause obviously. I used it on 11, 14, 15 and 18. It depends on the direction of the wind. You can do that round here, but it all depends on the direction of the wind. You might have to use a driver ten times, it’s all a matter of the wind. My iron play was good today and I always carry the one iron, if you don’t drive the ball well you have to.”

Paul McGinley (69): “It was a good start and I’m pleased even though I didn’t play particularly well. When I missed it, I missed it in the right places. I missed four putts from under four feet but I have to be pleased with a 69. I hit a lot more good shots on the back nine than the front nine but any day you break 70 in a major is a good start.”

Alexander Balicki (69): “I wanted to play in The Open because it’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Everyone wants to qualify for it. I said to myself, it’s your first British Open, just have fun. Just look at that great course, all the people around and everything happening. That’s what I did. I had a lot of fun, played very good, so I’m very happy to be here.”

Gordon Brand Jnr (70): “I was a bit ragged at the beginning but played nice and solid towards the end and to come back in one under was good. I had lots of chances early on but nothing happened and I rolled a couple of nice putts in on 16 and 17 and that made the day really. Conditions are just about perfect out there, there was a club or two clubs wind which is about right, any more and it gets a bit silly like on Wednesday in practice. That was almost a complete waste of time.”

David Dixon (70): “I didn’t know what to expect out there with enormous crowds which is so different to the amateur game but it helped that I played my practice round on Wednesday with John Daly. Today I just hit the ball so well off the tee but I do know Lytham quite well having won the Lytham Trophy last year. In fact, my caddy, Sean, caddied for me that day so I wanted him on the bag today.”

Sergio Garcia (70): “It is always great to start under par in a major, in the British Open, and the way the course was playing. I’m pretty happy. I had a couple of good breaks, a couple of bad ones, so it all evened out. I hit a lot of good putts, a lot of them. It could have been better but I’ll take it. I think a 70 to start with in the British Open is a good score.”

Mark O’Meara (70): "I haven’t played that well of late, so I needed to get off to a good start. My mum passed away a couple of months ago and it has increased my responsibilities and cut back my tournament schedule. This championship is always very special. The fans are so special and to me that’s what makes the championship that it is.”

Phil Mickelson (70): “The wind was really as bad as it’s been the last two days. I was on the fairway for most of the time but there are so many bunkers out there that you are trying to avoid and if you hit the wrong half of the green, you’re in the bunker. It was an up and down day and certainly one that I am disappointed with. I drove the ball well and felt as though I could make birdie or par but it seems I gave a few back and I’m fortunate I made a couple of eagles to stay under par.”

Tiger Woods (71): "I was grinding my butt off."

Ernie Els (71): (After being worried by back problems earlier prior to the tournament) “I had a guy in London, an osteopath, who worked on me last week. Then this week I’ve had the guy who’s been working on my back the last four years. He knows my back and he’s got me right. I’m feeling good. I’m in the tournament.”

John Daly (72): “It was just one of those days where I just grinded it out. Every time I made a birdie I seemed to make a bogey but I just kept coming back and fighting back. I couldn’t really get on a good rhythm or a good roll. It was an up-and-down round but I’ve come here with at least a little confidence in my game and this is probably the first time I’ve ever really come to a British Open with any sort of confidence, and that helps a little.”

Lee Westwood (72): “I didn’t hole a putt really although I gave myself quite good chances. When I missed a fairway it cost me shots. My games alright and I’m just sick of answering questions about my game, so I’m trying to tell everybody that it’s there and then maybe people will stop asking me. You can’t afford to attack a golf course like this. I’ll just have to go out and shoot three low rounds.”

Michael Hoey (73): "My brother Edward is carrying my bag and before the round I said to him: 'Punch me if I go for the driver'.

Adam Scott(73): "I think I shouldn't be too down on myself. I played well, but putting again let me down. So I've got to find some way to get out of this little rut with the putter. It's slightly disappointing because I played some nice shots and controlled the ball pretty well out there today."

Retief Goosen (74): “I had a bit of a bad start and then I played really well actually. I made four birdies in quite a few holes. Two bogeys early on, then unfortunately I found a bit of rough coming in. That really cost me. It was a disappointing finish but overall I’m not too upset. Obviously tomorrow I’ll have to get a good round in and get back into it.”

Joe Durant (75): “I am disappointed with a 75 as I had plenty of opportunities. I just didn’t make the putts when I needed to, but that’s golf and I’m just looking to come back out tomorrow and see if I can do better and be around for the weekend. The course played fine. It was a little better than it has been the last two days and the greens had a nice pace to them.”

Thomas Bjorn (76): (After spending most of the night awake with flu symptoms) “I just felt I had no energy and I had problems all day controlling the ball going left. It just wanted to go right. It was very disappointing. The 7th (a triple bogey 8) was just a total disaster. But I have no excuse. If I can make a good score tomorrow then maybe I have a chance of getting into the weekend.”