Portrush, Northern Ireland: Takumi Kanaya upstaged fellow former Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) winner Hideki Matsuyama on the opening day of The 153rd Open Championship.

While Kanaya carded an even-par 71 at Royal Portrush, his Japanese compatriot Matsuyama could only manage a 74.

It was in 2018 that Kanaya followed Matsuyama as the second Japanese player to win the AAC.

This week, Kanaya is making his fifth appearance at The Open thanks to the International Federation ranking list that offers five spots based on performances on the Japan, Asia, Australasia and Sunshine circuits.

Having missed the half-way on all four previous occasions he’s competed at The Open (2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023), the 27-year-old is determined to make it fifth time lucky this time around.

Matsuyama, meanwhile, is making his 11th appearance at The Open.

The 2021 Masters champion arrived in Portrush hopeful of improving on his best Open performance, a tie for sixth on his debut at Muirfield in 2013.

However, after a ragged start here, he’s battling to simply qualify for the weekend at a venue where he missed the cut in 2019.

Bogeys at the fourth and ninth and a double-bogey six at the eighth saw him turn in four-over 40. A further dropped shot at 11 did not help his cause.

To his credit, though, he covered the final seven holes in two-under thanks to birdies at 12 and 17.

China’s Sampson Zheng, runner-up at the 2023 AAC in Australia, also found the going tough.

Making his Major championship debut, Zheng atoned for an opening-hole bogey with a birdie at the par-five second. But that was as good as it got for the 2023 Bonallack Trophy player.

Zheng, who celebrated his 24th birthday on the eve of the tournament, turned in three-over 39 and ended with a six-over 77.