American Jerry Kelly slumped to four over par in the early stages of the 140th Open Championship - but was still on course to better his previous trip to Sandwich.

When the Open was last staged at Royal St George's in 2003, Kelly took 11 on the opening hole on his way to a first round of 86 before withdrawing, with Tiger Woods also running up a seven on the same hole in wet and windy conditions.

Conditions were considerably calmer as play got under way on Thursday morning, although light rain was falling as Kelly, Australia's Nathan Green and England's Danny Willett teed off in the first group.

Kelly split the fairway with his drive, but his approach ran through to the back of the green, from where he took three putts to card a bogey five.

In contrast, Green had found heavy rough with his tee shot and needed a lucky bounce over a bunker with his second, but then chipped in across the full width of the green for a birdie.

Kelly then ran up a double-bogey six on the second and dropped another shot at the sixth to prop up the rest of the early starters, although former champion Mark O'Meara was also struggling at three over par, alongside Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, second in 2003 after blowing a three-shot lead with four holes to play, was also among the early starters and, after getting up and down for par from over the first green, holed from 14 feet for birdie at the second.

That was enough for a share of the lead along with Willett, 1989 champion Mark Calcavecchia, Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson and American Ryan Moore.

Bjorn, who had only been sixth reserve as recently as last week before a spate of withdrawals, almost holed from 25ft for another birdie at the second and then saved par on the next two holes with good chips to three and six feet respectively.

The 40-year-old then missed from eight feet for birdie on the sixth, meaning Calcavecchia's birdie on the par-five seventh took him into the outright lead at two under par.