welcome to royal birkdale where the waiting is very nearly over.e—tuning their preparation ahead of the start tomorrow. it is an open that should live up to its name. it is wide open, so many contenders. no doubting the sentimental favourite here, tommy fleetwood. he grew up just one tee shot away from this course. he has had an incredible two victories in the 2017 year, a career—high14th in victories in the 2017 year, a career—high 14th in the victories in the 2017 year, a career—high14th in the world rankings. he is very much the man that people here are talking about. i caught that people here are talking about. icaught up that people here are talking about. i caught up with him during one of his practice rounds. it isjust going to be an experience i've never had before. the strength of a home crowd. you do get more than this. i don't live in the town any more, but i was born and bred here for 25 yea rs. i was born and bred here for 25 years. it is going to be special. we have a chance to win the open, i would love to have that as the ideal. it'

at royal birkdale the conditions are pa rt royal birkdale the conditions are part of the appeal. could the local boy mastered them on the greatest stage? tommy fleetwood came to the town in the form of his life, but on the first day his challenge fell away. instead ian poulter‘s surprise opening and three under par and in contention. ian poulter would look to become the eighth straight major winner, but ahead of him are players who have done it before. jordan spieth is at home on top of leaderboards and climbing up alongside him in the us open champion. brooks koepka's heroics took him to five under par. but for one former champion so far a day to forget. rory mcilroy‘s turmoil started from the very first hole. he stumbled to four over par in the front line, the elements and the mind getting the better of him. this is why golf is at its most brutal here. well, karthi gnanasegaram has been at the royal birkdale course all day for us so can appreciate the conditions that the players have faced. karthi, as expected it's been a tough day out there for quite a few of the players. yes,

thursday marks the start of the open championships at royal birkdale.although thursday is not too bad. we will have lost the humidity and the warmth from early in the week. some sunshine, light winds and a top temperature of 17. friday, for the early starters, it should be ok, but for those teeing off later on, the winds will continue to increase with outbreaks of rain later in the afternoon. around 18 celsius. in the weekend, weather conditions remaining challenging, with low—pressure nearby. breezy conditions and some sunshine and showers, some quite heavy at times. if the weather proves quite heavy at royal birkdale, there's lots of ways to keep up with the action. chris froome's lead in the tour de france is now up to 27 seconds after today's stage 17, which was won by slovenia's primoz roglic. german sprinter marcel kittel, who was leading the greenjersey competition, was involved in a crash early on and had to abandon the race with a shoulder injury. it was a brilliant effort by roglic, who started the day 37th and is no threat to the leaders. he

a brisk breeze meant testing conditions at birkdale.ome favourite set the early pace. ian poulter has been struggling with his form this year, but you'd scarcely have guessed it. and those are the ones, if you're going to win, you've got to keep... indeed, the british challenge made a sprightly start, withjustin rose, who famously finished fourth here as a teenager nearly two decades ago, as well as the unheralded stuart manley, the world number 520 on his open debut, in a share of the lead. enter the birkdale boy, an ovation for tommy fleetwood, the home town hero. the golf star of 2017 was soon being blown off course. fleetwood more wayward — no amount of local knowledge can help you in there. other radars, though, were in better working order. america'sjustin thomas a talent in a tie, showing his golf is as snappy as his dress sense. his compatriotjordan spieth was soon also on a charge, but birkdale is proving a test for the best. and the latest i can tell you is thatjordan spieth and brooks koepka now lead, on four under par, one s

and when jordan through all she could at royal birkdale.sh summer. had to contend with a great british summer. spieth urged two shots clear of the field, three birdies an eagle when all around were getting

no british or northern ireland golfer has ever won the open at birkdale ..pe that could change at the weekend.. one of the contenders is local lad tommy fleetwood. last september he was ranked one hundred and 88th in the world. now he's up to fourteenth thanks to some outstanding performances including a fourth place finish at the us open. 0ur correpondent andy swiss went to birkdale to meet him.. the players are fine tune in their preparations now. fleetwood grew up a tee shot away from here. he's had a tee shot away from here. he's had a career 14th in the world rankings. he is the person everyone here is talking about. i caught up with him on the first fairway. it will be an experience i have never had before. it's the strength of the home crowd. i know i don't live here any more but i was born and bred here, 25 yea rs. but i was born and bred here, 25 years. what are your earliest memory is? i used to sneak on. i can't go back on my word now. it's the main standout pause at the town. it's such a golfing town. it was the first open i ever went to. 1998. d

the open golf is back at royal birkdale this weekend.held there. one of the most memorable championships was in 1998, when a 17—year—old justin rose chipped in at the 18th to win the amateur prize and finish fourth overall. that set him on his way to a successful career. he has a us open title and olympic gold to his name — but he'd still love to win at birkdale. it's v1 tournament i have been tuned about since i was a young boy. and think especially at royal birkdale, you take an open championship anywhere, you take a major event anywhere, you take a major event anywhere, but i would be fortunate to win there and royal birkdale, and for me to do it here with the aid. moments, based upon, i guess, what i did in 1998. it's a special venue and lots of good memories. we told you yesterday about the torment of open water swimmerjack burnell, as he struggled to move past the disappointment of disqualification at the rio olympics. well, there's been more heartache for him today. he finished fourth in the 10km race at the world aquatics champio

wind and rain at birkdale today. all the more impressive that in the worst of it, jordan spieth kept his rivals at arms length. he leads two rounds from matt kuchar. ian poulter is the best placed reddish player at three under par. rory mcilroy it is back in contention on 68. this was a day where mother nature through all she could at royal birkdale. jordan spieth last back. jordan spieth urged to shots clear of the field when all were being swept down the leaderboard. matt kuchar struggled earlier in the day, but unlike his ball, clung on. his second on four under, shooting a 71. as the weather turned, some started to lose their grip. rory mcilroy continued his recovery from a disastrous start yesterday to blow into the top ten. three birdies in his first six holes leaves on one under par, but with winds set to howl over the weekend, the championship remains open. you know, it was great to look scrappy, and it did. there was no wafer to look pretty today. i stole a few. —— there was no way for it to. i did not play

birkdale was witnessing another spieth major meltdown.almer said, though, success depends less on strength of body, more on strength of mind. where many minds might have been muddled, spieth's unscrambled. his tee shot on the next hole nearly went in. this never looked like missing. birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, and no catching him now. spieth turns 2a on thursday with a third major title. the only other man to do that — a certain jack nicklaus, and he won 18. iam going i am going to thoroughly enjoy this. i look back at 15 and thought, i enjoyed it but i never really realise the significance until you kind of hit a low, a pitfall, to appreciate the high so much and this is as much of a high as i have ever experienced in my golfing life and am going to enjoy it more than i have enjoyed anything i have accomplished in the past. so spieth's margin of victory was three shots in the end over his compatriot matt kuchar. as for rory mcilroy, he had missed the cut in three of his last four tournaments, and hasn't won a competition all year. but

good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the open at royal birkdale...esting conditions for the early starters, and for most the leaderboard made grim reading. but not for all, as a home favourite set the pace. ian poulter has struggled with form and fitness, but you would scarcely have guessed it. the runner—up here nine years ago back to his bullish best. the love affair hasn't changed since 2008. i remember walking up obviously, er, the last hole with a scorecard in my hand and it was a pretty special feeling. obviously i've gone out there today and performed just as well. but for hometown hero tommy fleetwood, the dream soon faded, as golf‘s star of 2017 was blown off course. fleetwood more wayward, no amount of local knowledge can help you in there. and he wasn't the only struggler, as rory mcilroy‘s recent woes continued, bogeying five of the first six holes, a shadow of his world—beating best. instead it was the american challenge that blossomed, as brooks koepka and jordan spieth charged to the top. while matt kuchar was also in tantalising touch

yes, welcome to royal birkdale. and the wind is really starting to blow.le stop to his round yesterday, he is back in his —— he is back in contention. it was bring a brolly day at birkdale, as fans arrived braced for the worst. grey skies and blustery winds. tough for watching, just imagine playing. well, the man at the top didn't seem to mind, as america's matt kuchar picked up where he left off. 0h, kuch! but soon, the story was rory. yesterday, rory mcilroy had one of the worst starts you will ever see. today, one of the best. a trio of early birdies, as he continued a quite spectacular revival. a man who'd seemed down and out suddenlyjust three off the lead. just the start... but the morning's most magical moment belonged to lee westwood — some way behind the leaders, but this will certainly help. yes, sir, lee westwood! for others, though, the worsening conditions were taking their toll. world number one dustin johnson getting a close—up view of the local vegetation. 0h! he wasn't the only one struggling with the wind. charl schwartzel‘s ball being bl

friday is for birkdale that back, a date to be blown off course. if you started in the afternoon.mbering from the calm this morning, the roars for rory mcilroy continued where he left off last night, three birdies in six holes saw him shoot into the top ten and he closed on one under. overnight leader matt kuchar could not replicate yesterday's 65, three birdies today were tempered by four bogeys, but he is still the clubhouse leader on four under. as mother nature turned, some players started to lose their grip. some, but not all, jordan spieth already has two majors to his name and was scrambling like this, he is in contention for number three. so too are some englishman, richard bland, 21 speed's senior, he had two birdies in his opening four holes and ian poulter, a liberal part second round to set on three under par. he will reign supreme on sunday could still contain an element of surprise. yes, still wide open, as ben was saying there. i am delighted to say i am joined by dave smith, eight times a winner on the european tour. how difficult ids conditions? very difficult, th

and boy, did the weather test them at royal birkdale today.ind and rain that got worse as the day went on. so all the more impressive that in the worst of it. jordan spieth kept his rivals at arm's length. the american leads after two rounds. from his compatriot matt kuchar who's two back. ian poulter is the best—placed british player on three under par. with rory mcilroy‘s 68 putting him back in contention. ben croucher reports. this was a day when a mother nature through all she could at royal birkdale. and when jordan through all she could at royal birkdale. and whenjordan spieth laughed right back on herface. they had to contend with a great british summer. had to contend with a great british summer. spieth urged two shots clear of the field, three birdies an eagle when all around were getting swept down the leaderboard. joint overnight leader matt kuchar struggled early in the day but like his ball, clung on. second on four under, shooting a 71. as the weather turned, sun started to lose their grip. nodding in —— not ian poulter, he held

he is one of the headline makers today, at royal birkdale.another one of those again tomorrow, if he is to catch the leaders? jordan spieth looks like he is having another very good day? he has, he began the day two shots clear. he is still two shots clear, jordan spieth ten under parand shots clear, jordan spieth ten under par and still two clear of matt kuchar. they are both going down 18 asi kuchar. they are both going down 18 as i speak. behind them, connelly and koepka on five under par, grace and koepka on five under par, grace and matsuyama at four under par. rory mcilroy and ian poulter, their hopes have somewhat faded, back on two and. they will have to produce something pretty extraordinary to have any kind of chance on the final day. jordan spieth is looking good on ten under par, going down the final hole. a great final day of play, andy swiss there at royal birkdale. many thanks. eight years after he first won an individual world title at the age ofjust 15, tom daley has won gold again in the same event — the ten metre platform a

at royal birkdale the conditions are part of the appeal and when golf becomes a stadium sport one manan poulter‘s surprise would lead british interests. two shots ahead of him the americans dog we are to the top. brooks koepka keeping up his momentum. jordan spieth, a man used to leading the way. it is a really good start and i know that even par would be as good or better than the score today, so important to get red numbers today. the late charge came from another englishman. paul casey goes in one shot behind the leaders. forehead while it looked like one former champion would be of the running. rory mcilroy tiled to five over par but he too thrives beneath the grandstands and four birthdays pulled it back. so hard when you see good stuff in practice but the last two calls it came together better andl two calls it came together better and i can bring those feelings from those last 12 into the rest of the week. kind conditions saw michael roy stay in contention but links golf will be its brutal best tomorrow. wind and rain expected. so this is how it stands at the end of day one. sp

poulter had to push to become britain's first royal birkdale champion.cting low scoring but it never materialised. jordan spieth was the only player to shoot under par in his rounds, number three looked certainty, with the composure that comes after having majors and your belt. he got to nine under par, looking like the calmest man in the field. ben crouch, bbc news. a dramatic day here at royal birkdale but no doubting the star of the show earlier, branden grace with a record—breaking 62, eight birdies, quite remarkable. afterwards, what was even more remarkable was that he said he was not aware of what he achieved. i had no idea, they said congratulations and i thought it was a great round, not in the history books! they said, you are in the history books now, and i said, what are you talking about? it's great, it makes it even more special, and even better at the open. this is my eighth one, i think, and definitely one that i am liking so far. a history maker as he said, branden grace has put himself into the mix, rocketing up the leaderboard but of c

welcome to royal birkdale, where the golfers have been battling the elements. out there. as you say, it has been a good day for rory mcilroy. after a terrible start yesterday, he is back in contention. it was ‘bring a brolly day‘ at birkdale, as fans arrived braced for the worst. grey skies and blustery winds — tough for watching, just imagine playing. the man at the top didn't seem to mind, didn't seem to mind, as america's matt kuchar set the early target. 0h, kuch! but soon, the story was rory. yesterday, rory mcilroy had one of the worst starts he will ever see. today, one of the best. a trio of early birdies as he continued on to an impressive revival. a man who seemed down and out, back in with a fighting chance. i continued where i left off last night and made some birdies. i did exactly what i wanted to do, get in and finish the tournament under par for the first two days, and we'll watch to see what the guys do this afternoon. well, as the winds strengthened, they struggled. charl schwartzel‘s ball actually being blown away. but ian poulter held firm.

it is the one tournament i have drink about since i was the young boy and especially at royal birkdaleine up at special venues happened to line up at special venues i feel fortunate i could win at marion and to win it here at royal birkdale would be a. poolman of what i did in 1998, so it is a special venue and, like you say, lots of good memories —— it would be a special moment. there is a global robotics competition taking place in washington and among the competitors are a group of afghan teenage girls. they were twice denied us visas until a late intervention by president trump. and they're hoping they can go some way to breaking down stereotypes in both the us and back home. well, good on them for that competition. don't forget you can get in touch with me and some of the team on twitter, i'm @bbcdavideades. so anything you have seen on the programme you want to chat about, let me know. that is bbc news. much more still to come. goodbye for now. hello, there. tuesday turned out to be a very pleasa nt tuesday turned out to be a very pleasant day for most of the day across the uk. p

he's the birkdale boil hoping to become a hometown hero. —— birkdale boy. this year's open is barely a tea shop from where he grew up. fleetwood one of their favourites at a course where when he was seven he told me he used to sneak onto practice. i used to sneak on, which is only come out recently. i can't go back on my word now! i'd love to speak to my seven—year—old self and outs and tell him what was going to happen in 20 years. how exciting is it going to be for your friends and family, i assume a lot of them will be here? a lot of people's home tournament isn't the british tournament, so that's an amazing feeling and experience, having that as the home event. i hope i can give them something to cheer about, that's the main thing to do, but it will be great. the fa ns to do, but it will be great. the fans here will be an tommy fleetwood's side but the history books won't. an englishman has an w011 books won't. an englishman has an won the open for 25 years, but this isa won the open for 25 years, but this is a course where anything is possible. remembe

coming up on our show: ready for the elite of world golf — royal birkdale prepares to to host the opend bruised, leading sprinter marcel kittel is forced to abandon the tour de france. chelsea agree a deal to sign real madrid striker alvaro morata for around $91 million. hello and thanks for joining us on sport today. we are just a few hours away from the start of the 146th open championship taking place at royal birkdale, on the north—west coast of england. sweden's henrik stenson is the defending champion, but is certainly not the only man with compelling ambitions of walking 0nce once you win one, obviously it's off your shoulders, and it's more about putting yourself in contention again and trying to win a second one. given a long and successful career that i

hopefully he should be live for us at royal birkdale.andy fordham nice to speak to you. what a day forjordan spieth! that leaderboard didn't what a day forjordan spieth! that leaderboa rd didn't really what a day forjordan spieth! that leaderboard didn't really show what jordan spieth had done. a chaotic last round, and he has long been touted as a special player, but now he has won his third major. history box will show a three shot win for jordan spieth, very simple, but that doesn't tell half the story, because this was a title he seemed to spend most of the day doing his best to throw away before finally grabbing it back in the closing hole—esque with extraordinary golf. he becomes the youngest open champion since seve ballesteros in 1979. it was a day of high drama. he started leading, finished it winning, the bit in the middle, if only it were that simple. jordan spieth‘s three shot lead had evaporated by the time he reached 13. that is his ball in southport shrubbery. where to drop it? the practice range will have to do. miraculou

andy swiss, bbc news, royal birkdale.e city of heidlelberg, the latest stop on their european tour. after some words of advice from their team mates, william got off to a good start and ultimately proved too strong for kate with his boat winning by almost a length. it was then his honour to celebrate the occasion by cracking open a barrel of beer at the finish line. within the last couple of hours, the exhumation has begun of the body of one of the most celebrated artistic figures of the twentieth century, salvador dali. the highly unusual process was ordered by a court in madrid following claims by a tarot card reader that the surrealist painter was her father. our arts editor will gompertz is at dali‘s theatre museum in figueres where he was buried in 1989. this is the salvador dali theatre museum, a popular visitor attraction on the north—east coast of spain, and tonight the site for a highly controversial exhumation. underneath this blank stone slab in the middle of the theatre‘s glass—domed atrium, unbeknownst to mos

sport, and the 146th open championship at royal birkdale is underway and it‘s been a fantastic openingrooks koepka. austin halewood was watching the action. it is the one everyone wants to win — golf‘s oldest major, the open championship. but with the biggest prize comes the biggest challenge. not for america‘s charley hoffman, though. he had just about the best start — an eagle on the first. in typically british conditions, it was englishman ian poulter who set the early pace with his best start to a major, 3—underfor the day. henrik stenson played some of the best golf the open championship has seen on his way to lifting the claretjug last year, but as defending champion, it was a modest first round. despite this tee shot on the seventh, he finished just a shot under par. but the first day was all about the americans, jordan spieth leading from the front. after winning back—to—back majors in 2015, spieth hasn‘t hit the same heights since, but he was back on song at birkdale, especially on the greens. and by lunchtime on day one at 5—under, without dropping a shot, spieth was the man

andy swiss, bbc news, royal birkdale.orld para athletic championships in london. sammi kinghorn won her second gold, in the t53100 metres to leave britain third overall, in the medal tables — as kate gray now reports. the greatest championships to date, with record—breaking performances and the usual suspects topping the podium but for some it was the first taste of glory. sammi kinghorn had never won a world title but this morning she raced to her second victory of the championship and britain's 18th gold overall. i had no idea. i literally had no idea when i crossed over the line. i heard the crowd scream so i thought — i've won a medal. i saw my name popping up and i was like — really? it was amazing. i got off really hard, my start was good. i knew that was the biggest thing i had to work on from rio. i'm really glad it has all worked out. ten months on from britain's most successful pa ralympic games, the pressure was on the athletes to do it all over again here in london, and thanks to a little help from the home cr

for the golfers at royal birkdale, quite strong winds making it challenging.on, and temperatures in the upper teens. so on thursday, yes, some rain spreads from west to east. it will be an unsettled end to the week with some general rain across quite a large area. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. bb our top stories: after venezuela's referendum, president trump —— our top stories: after venezuela's referendum, president trump threatens strong and swift economic action if plans to rewrite the constitution go ahead. russia demands the us returns two diplomatic compounds that were seized last year — a deal could be close according to russian officials. war as a way of life. we have a special report from eastern ukraine, where the conflict means misery for thousands of people. we have entered a stalemate, and that means i'm told suffering, particularly for the civilian population. -- untold.

enter the birkdale boy, an ovation for tommy fleetwood, the home town hero. the golf star of 2017 was soon being blown off course. fleetwood more wayward — no amount of local knowledge can help you in there. other radars, though, were in better working order. america'sjustin thomas a talent in a tie, showing his golf is as snappy as his dress sense. his compatriotjordan spieth was soon also on a charge, but birkdale is proving a test for the best. and the latest i can tell you is thatjordan spieth and brooks koepka now lead, on four under par, one shot clear of ian poulter. plenty of big names still to start their rounds this afternoon, including lee westwood and rory mcilroy. andy swiss. time for a look at the weather. here's chris fawkes. we had flooding yesterday evening, across lancashire and north wales. you can see the flood waters in the town. partly these thunderstorms we re town. partly these thunderstorms were driven by the very humid air we had over as, all the moisture helping those thunderstorms form. we have a change in the weather today, as the

the 146th open championship at royal birkdale is underway and it's been a fantastic opening day for usolf fans. there's a three—way tie at the top of the leaderboard and america's jordan spieth is there with his compatriots matt kuchar and us open champion brooks koepka. austin halewood was watching the action. it is the one everyone wants to win. golf's oldest major macro, the open championship. what with the biggest prize comes the biggest challenge. not for america's charley hoffman, who had just about the best start. and eagle on the first. in typically british conditions, it was englishman ian poulter who set the early pace with his best start to a major, three under for the day. henrik stenson played some of the best golf the open championship has seen, but as defending champion it was a modest first round. despite this tee shot on the 70 finished just a shot underpar. but the first day was all about the americans. jordan spieth leading from the front. after winning back—to—back majors in 2015, he hasn't hit the same heights since, but he was back on song at birkdale, especially

birkdale was witnessing anotherjordan spieth major meltdown.th of body, more on strength of mind. where many minds might have been muddled, speak‘s unscrambled. his tee shot on the next hole nearly went in. —— jordan spieth's unscrambled. this never looked like missing. purdy, eagle, birdie, birdie, and no catching him now. i felt like once i lost my lead com pletely now. i felt like once i lost my lead completely and we were tied, i actually felt the nerves go away. you just don't know what your mind is going to do to you sometimes. you can control it to an extent but certain situations are going to bring more attention, and you have the kind of channel that the right way, play the right shots, and that was a difficult thing to do today because it was just soak up—and—down. because it was just soak up-and-down. jordan spieth turns 24 on thursday with a third major title. the only other man to do that, a certain jack title. the only other man to do that, a certainjack nicklaus, and he won 18. there was champagne on the streets of paris, as chri

let's go live to royal birkdale where our reporter has been watching today's play.nd strong to come out and show the fans that he still has it, he must be happy with what he produced ? still has it, he must be happy with what he produced? yeah, i think you are absolutely right, he was understandably delighted to have gone around in 68, that leaves him one underfor the gone around in 68, that leaves him one under for the tournament. particularly delighted that he is backin particularly delighted that he is back in the clubhouse, as you can probably tell, the rain has started. we had a little bit of sunshine not that long ago, i was going to tell you the sun had come out, but it lasted about 90 seconds and the rain has started now. rory mcilroy will be delighted. he got the best of the weather, he has missed the worst weather, he has missed the worst weather, which is to come later on. it wasn't the round of the day just, zachjohnson went it wasn't the round of the day just, zach johnson went round it wasn't the round of the day just, zachjohnson went round in 66,4 un

royal birkdale is preparing to host the tournament for the tenth time with one of the most memorable won the us open and 0lympic during which he won the us open and olympic gold, but he says he'd still love to win at birkdale. it's the one tournament that i've dreamed about since i was that young boy and especially at royal birkdale you ta ke especially at royal birkdale you take an open championship and you ta ke take an open championship and you take an open championship and you take a major championship anywhere, but if they happen to line up at special venues, i feel fortunate i was able to win at merion and for me here to do at royal birkdale would bea here to do at royal birkdale would be a full circle moment based upon i guess sort of what i did in 1998. so yeah, it's a special venue and like you say, lots of good memories. more later. but that's it for now. we are back in north kensington. the conversation has carried on while you were watching the news between survivors and medical health professionals, experts particularly in mental health because that's a huge thing that i

over at the royal birkdale course in lankishire....story of branden the fourth round is going to start shortly. over in royal birkdale court, today, the story of brandon grace here. he came out of nowhere, a long effort at 16. what a jump. grace who shot up to fifth place. he's the first player ever in major championship history to shoot a 62? jordan spieth, matt kuchar, birdie effort for a one shot lead. and the next hole, after kuchar birdie, kuchar, the wheels fell off. three-putt, double bogey, dropped him to three behind spieth. and at 18, spieth put the biscuit in the basket. 11 under, he lead the field by 3. jordan spieth, trying to work on is that career slam. he already has a masters and u.s. open. into tomorrow's final round, the two have separated them selves from the rest of the field. and two of the three time -- spieth has gone on to win. your mind set? >> you control your own destiny, and sometimes that's, that can be a pig thing on your mind -- big thing on your mind. it's a little tougher to sleep, but i've machine fin

our sports correspondent andy swiss is at royal birkdale of a british winner have faded.results. no man had ever shot 62 at a major until branden grace. commentator: amazing grace. that suggested anything was possible and overnight leaderjordan spieth promptly picked up leaderjordan spieth promptly picked up where he left off. behind him, rory mcilroy began an equally inspired style with a flurry of birdies. but that early lustre faded, and erratic finish leaving him nine off the pace. there was also does abutment ian poulter, hopes of a home win here soon seem to be over. —— also disappointment for ian poulter. canada's austin surely with the shock of the day. but at the final hole, spieth struck what could bea final hole, spieth struck what could be a telling blow, with a three shot lead over compatriot matt kuchar, he will take some stopping. a day of astonishing scoring for some, and frustration for others. it ends as it began, withjordan spieth on course for open glory. finally, great britain's para athletes won three more golds at the world championships in london t

much more to come over the next few hours from royal birkdale.en called the divorce bill, that the european union wants the uk to pay upon leaving. some eu leaders have indicated it could be as high as £88 billion,and they say no trade deal can be as £88 billion, and they say no trade deal can be struck until the sum is agreed. our diplomatic correspondent james robbins has been looking at some of the issues — including, why there's a bill to pay in the first place. no nation state has ever left the european union before, so think of this as the first divorce in european history. how would the debt be paid? there was a statement to parliament last thursday that the uk has obligations from eu membership, which may from europe's chief negotiator after foreign secretary boris johnson said brussels should go whistle for the money. the sums i have seen that they have proposed to demand for this country seem to me to be extortionate, and i think to "go whistle" would be an entirely appropriate expression. i don't hear any whistling, just a clock tickin

mike isa mike is a royal birkdale for us, it isa mike is a royal birkdale for us, it is a day that willyou would love it if i took off now mary poppins style into the irish sea. but i will hold an. that is what makes it exciting and challenging. of this course was a difficult enough already, let me set the for you already. hind me there we have an eye on the sky on a platform to show you the wider picture here overlooking the third green. as you can picture here overlooking the third green. as you can see, picture here overlooking the third green. as you can see, there is rain on the lands, it is quite blustery. really very windy and that will make it difficult for golfers going out this morning. back here on the ground i am close by the third green. the flag right behind me so they will be coming through here in about an hour. the opening group of ryan moore, chris wood and the 1998 champion. they are getting things under way as i speak right now on the first tee. because of the conditions and the fact that the top players in the world have been struggling so much recently that is what

the open golf is back at royal birkdale this weekend.the most memorable championships was in 1998, when a 17—year—old justin rose chipped in at the 18th to win the amateur prize and finish fourth overall. that set him on his way to a successful career. he has a us open title and olympic gold to his name, but he'd still love to win at birkdale. it's the one tournament i have dreamt about since i was that young boy. i think especially at royal birkdale, you take an open championship anywhere, you take a major championship anywhere, but one, if they line up at special venues, that club has something extra about it, and obviously, for me here, to do it at royal birkdale would be a full so cool —— full circle moment of what i did in 1998. it isa circle moment of what i did in 1998. it is a special venue, and like you say, lots of good memories. britain'sjohanna konta has told the bbc that she's working towards becoming world number one. the latest rankings have moved her up to four after she reached the semi—finals at wimbledon where she lost

the wind is getting up here at royal birkdale. testing for the players and spectators as well.d in the school, very few players going under par for their round today. this is the leaderboard, matt kuchar has just dropped this is the leaderboard, matt kuchar hasjust dropped a this is the leaderboard, matt kuchar has just dropped a shot, falling away from the leading pack. he had been six under. he was out on his own but has fallen behind that leading pair. neither of those are out on the course, they go out in an hour and out on the course, they go out in an hourand a out on the course, they go out in an hour and a half, facing far worse conditions. the biggest impact, rory mcilroy has had quite a day, he is on two under, four from the lead. making amends for those early mistakes yesterday. these are tricky conditions, the likes of paul casey, he is on six over. not enjoying today which is his 40th birthday. testing conditions. two of the overnight leaders jordan spieth and brooks koepka are yet to tee off. how much will the weather conditions affect them? that is what you get w

the best part of 20 years of, of course in 1998, it was here as well at royal birkdale.leader as we come towards the end of the second day. most of it, joint leader as we come towards the end of the second daylj do very much. that is all the time we have for the sport. we will have more in sports day coming up at half past six. sorry to cut too short, we will have more sport later. the environment secretary michael gove has said that brexit offers a once—in—a—lifetime opportunity to reform britain's agriculture and fisheries. he announced farming subsidies will in future be paid only to farmers who use their land responsibly, by managing natural resources and habitats. our environment analyst roger harrabin reports. the racehorse frankel, owned by a saudi billionaire. he gets £400,000 of eu money for his stud farm near newmarket. the royals get more than £0.5 million for the sandringham estate. the sums based on the amount of land you farm, basically, the richer you are, the more you get. mr gove says that must change. leaving the eu gives us a once—in—a—lifetime opportu

some of those showers could affect the golf at royal birkdale.weekend it will stay fairly u nsettled weekend it will stay fairly unsettled with heady, blustery showers at times, but also some drier and brighter spells. not a wash—out, but we have got low pressure and that will bring showers creeping their way northwards and eastwards a cross creeping their way northwards and eastwards across the country on sunday. temperatures fresher than we have had recently, between 16—20. those showers should slowly cleared away towards the east, temperatures between 16—22. this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. the headlines at 7:00pm. recorded crime in england and wales sees its biggest annual rise in a decade — with violent crime up 18%. live in nevada — former us football star oj simpson is appearing before a parole board asking for early release after serving almost nine years in prison for armed robbery. the end of week two in brussels exit talks with still no deal on eu citizens rights and the brexit bill. i'm dominic heale in nottingham where the government

here's spieth on a bogey-free day at royal birkdale. >> i thought it was phenomenal.ery pleased with our tee to green performance and made a couple really nice par saves from four, five feet. other than that, it was pretty stress free and on a saturday with a lead in a major, that's about as good as i can ask for right there. so, really nice kind of get that one at the end. i got a really good break on my second shot to not be in trouble and to make it three there, felt like i stole one, two, going into tomorrow. >>> if you haven't heard, listen up. eagles training camp begins monday with first full-squad workouts thursday. the birds have a newly stocked wide receiving core and safety malcolm jenkins says from his standpoint the group already feels improved. >> you get a great look every day. you know, alshop is on is a pre receiver in the league. torrey smith. other guys. he gives us quality works. jordan matthews. we got the talent. i think from a preparation standpoint, going against that every day in practice definitely helps. >> that is your look at sports. i'm d

padraig harrington won the collar restjug the last time it was staged at royal birkdale.f scotland in the european championship. the player to get it, jodie taylor, she sealed her hat—trick, scoring england‘s fourth shortly after half—time. we should name check the other scorers. with the last touch of the new the new barcelona striker toni duggan. scotla nd ta ke new barcelona striker toni duggan. scotland take on portugal while england play spain. mark samson say they will get better. a lot of people are aware we have an opportunity to win this with the quality, it is looking difficult. we will make sure we get the right talk, it is a bit of information, to build up, these players, a belief, one thing i am proud of was when i watched them walk on to the field. they felt like they want to be here. this is stage for them. the pressure is great for us, the more pressure the better we we are form. also in football, celtic are through to the third qualifying round of the champions league, so only have two more teams to get past to reach the group stage. they completed a 6—0

you can follow everything from royal birkdale with the bbc.hroughout the day, where there's also in play video clips of the best of the action. and there's highlights on bbc two from 8pm tonight. chris froome isjust two stages away from a fourth tour de france title. froome has a 23—second lead to protect, going into the time trial in marseille, this afternoon. if he emerges unscathed he'll be crowned champion on the champs elysees tomorrow. rob hayles is commentating and said this would be chris froome's biggest achievement yet. he has never been able to relax, none of the top guys have been able to relax, so if he can pull that jersey have been able to relax, so if he can pull thatjersey on in paris he will probably be remembered for the one that he really had to work for. tom daley goes for another world gold medal in the men's ten metre platform final later. daley qualified in second place for this afternoon's showpiece at the world aquatics championships in hungary. compatriot matty lee is also through. that's all the sport for now. now t

he negotiated some foul conditions at royal birkdale yesterday afternoon.ing in the worst of the conditions. ian poulter is the best placed brit. he's three shots off the lead, after a consistent round yesterday. and after rory mcilroy feared he might miss the cut in the first round, he's bounced back, into a tie for seventh place on one under par. anything around even par, conditions will bring a good score. i got off to the best possible start. i made some birdies early on. i needed some big up and downs. it will be great to tee off late and have a lie—down in the morning, look at the pin locations, see how other players are playing certain holes. how the course should be played. ijust want a nice weekend without too much rain. the american leads after two rounds from his compatriot matt kuchar who's two back. ian poulter is the best—placed british player on three under par, with rory mcilroy‘s 68 putting him back in contention. 77 players remain. 79, their time is over. defending champion, henrik stenson, lies at two over par. his preparations for the se

for the golf it will be windier today at royal birkdale.like there could be some interruptions to play for the women's world cup at lord's with a few showers developing. this evening and overnight this rain across northern areas moving southwards. it will be a pretty damp night. further north and west a dry, clear and cool night. for monday the best of the brightness starting the day. mist and fog clearing away. central, southern and eastern areas with a cool breeze for the north. further west with the sunshine it will feel quite warm. on tuesday we are between weather systems. with sunny spells, one or two showers. in the sunshine it will feel quite warm. behind me the next weather system will be making inroads for wednesday. it could be quite wet as the band of rain spreads across the uk. on thursday a bit drier with a mixture of sunshine and showers. this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at ten: in a new documentary prince william and prince harry recall fond memories of their mother, diana, princess of wales. a crazy laugh

looking fairly promising the opel round —— final round at the open at royal birkdale.nal at lord's, there is a chance of catching the odd shower. there will be lengthy sunny spells, it will fill warmer than it did on saturday. this is sunday evening, showers gradually fading but the area of rain i mentioned in scotland looking down across parts of north—east england and only gradually edging a bit further south and east during the day on monday. becoming lighter as it does so, elsewhere on monday a dryer picture, some warm sunny spells to be had away from that breeze, along the north sea coast and tuesday as a fine day for

you can follow everything from royal birkdale with the bbc.ion. and there‘s highlights on bbc two from 8pm tonight. chris froome isjust two stages away, from a fourth tour de france title. he finished in the bunch, on stage 19 yesterday, as norway‘s, edvan bosen—hagen, took the win. froome has a 23—second lead to protect, going into the time trial in marseille, this afternoon. if he emerges unscathed — he‘ll be crowned champion on the champs elysees tomorrow. i think certainly at this point it is my resolute. i have to make sure ido is my resolute. i have to make sure i do everything right. excuse me. do everything right, follow the processes , everything right, follow the processes, and hopefully not have a bad day. if i have the legs, then hopefully everything else should be all right. tom daley goes for another world gold medal in the men‘s ten metre platform final later. daley qualified in second place for this afternoon‘s showpiece at the world aquatics championships in hungary. compatriot matty lee is also through. i think this year it h

the royal birkdale gets the best of the weather.s go live to the course now. the best conditions are just about now. this morning at 6:35 a:m.,a about now. this morning at 6:35 a:m., alot about now. this morning at 6:35 a:m., a lot of rain and wind when the first players went out. but the last players coming through on the fourth hole at the moment finishing. it has meant the leader board depends on when you started today. at the top, the americans. jordan spieth and brooks koepka, both on five under alongside matt kercher who is still playing. jordan spieth, he is top of the leaderboard and in the clubhouse. he had five birdies, an excellent round. he won two majors in 2015 and has been a little bit of form since then. looks like he is particularly playing well. he does like the open and these conditions out on the coast at the seaside playing on a links course. after his round, he spoke to us to tell us what he thought of birkdale. maybe a bit surprised at being able to start this open extremely and not have to grind too much the

he won the silver medal for top amateur at the prestigious tournament at royal birkdale.in good company, because previous winners include the likes of rory mcilroy, justin rose and tiger woods. like them, alfie's now set his sights set on turning professional, as piers hopkirk reports. at sundridge parc golf club today a hero came home. the newly crowned open amateur champion back with a silver medal that could propel him into golf‘s highest wrecks. silver medal that could propel him into golf's highest wreckslj silver medal that could propel him into golf's highest wrecks. i hat to double check to make sure the silver medal was there but it's great, a dream come true. to bring it back to your home club, what of the reception today? it has been brilliant. i have a lot of support from my club and a few guys here help me out and it's great. none prouder than the family members who cheered him on every step of the way. to be there was like being beamed down from out of space. every emotion. i had already cried my eyes out when he made the cut. all day and night, iwas out whe

. —— royal birkdale. the potential some problems from the showers that last into sunday evening.ngland as well late afternoon and into the evening. still for the eastern parts of england on monday, this system slow to clear. elsewhere, dry, sunny for monday. some spots in the west could be approaching the mid—20s on monday. a fine day for most on tuesday. it won't last. more rain from the west by the time we get to wednesday. hello, this is bbc news. we'll be taking a look at tomorrow mornings papers in a moment, first the headlines at 11:30: great ormond street hospital contacts the police after staff received death threats and online abuse in relation to the charlie gard case. as donald trump commissions a new warship, his family prepare to give evidence to the investigation into his team's possible links with russia. the president tweeted a reminder that he has the complete power to pardon. chris froome is on the verge of taking his fourth tour de france title, after increasing his lead in today's time trial. and tom daley has claimed his first individual world diving title fo

for the age it's golf's third major of the year the open champion, 146th competition at the royal birkdalehot 62. as for the style. how about this. jordan spieth neither makes an eagle on number 3. k kucha of r is second at eight under. spieth 5 under 65, with a byrd on 18. gallinari g get in the hole. conollie tied for third eleven under. spieth asked about going into sunday with the lead. >> it's a little tougher to sleep. but i've been fine recently. i expect to be. if not can sleep during the day tomorrow. we don't tee off until pretty late but i wouldn't rather be in any orange position. >>> any other position. >>> now to the bike races. chris froome well on his way to third consecutive tour title fourth overall. was riding so fast nearly caught the rider in front of him with a 54 second lead. the race finale through paris is on sunday. that is a look at sports. >> and back to pablo. he seems humbled by this experience. >> he didn't play well. wasn't all that healthy in boston but didn't play well and now he has a chance to get it going again. >> hopefully the team maybe will all come

looking fairly promising the opel round —— final round at the open at royal birkdale.l be a bit breezy confetti today. the women's world cup final at lord's, there is a chance of catching the odd shower. there will be lengthy sunny spells, it will fill warmer than it did on saturday. this is sunday evening, showers gradually fading but the area of rain i mentioned in scotland looking down across parts of north—east england and only gradually edging a bit further south and east during the day on monday. becoming lighter as it does so, elsewhere on monday a dryer picture, some warm sunny elsewhere on monday a dryer picture, some warm sunny spells to be had away from that breeze, along the north sea coast and tuesday as a fine day for many of us. but it turns on settled from the west again on wednesday. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines at 8.30pm: great ormond street hospital contacts the police after staff received death threats and online abuse in relation to the charlie gard case. as some of president trump's family prepare to give evidence to the investigation in