Matt Wallace’s maiden Open Championship round ended in a three-over-par 74 to leave him in a tie for 90th at the end of day one at Carnoustie.

The Moor Park-attached professional was one of the later starters as the 147th edition of the major got under way and had the less favourable conditions to contend with on the hard and fast scorched fairways, going out in a three-over score of 39.

But having dropped to plus-four, the 28-year-old battled back with consecutive birdies, only to give one of those shots back as he came home in an even-par 35 following the tough closing stretch at the Scottish Links.

Playing alongside two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Padraig Harrington, who triumphed the last time the Open was staged at Carnoustie in 2007, Wallace made a solid start with four straight pars.

However, a bogey five at the fifth was followed by a six at the par five sixth, and two dropped shots in two holes became three in four with a four at the eighth.

The three-time European Tour winner dropped another shot at the par four 11th, but his first Open Championship birdie at the par three 13th was to be rapidly followed by a second with a four at 14.

Wallace was unable to remain at two-over though, as a fifth bogey of the round followed at the par three 16th.

This year’s Hero Indian Open and BMW International Open champion is due to get his second round under way at 9.47am tomorrow.

A five-under-par 66 saw Kevin Kisner end the first round as leader, one shot clear of fellow American Tony Finau and South African duo Erik Van Rooyen and Zander Lombard.