British Open Leaderboard 2013: Top Day 1 Storylines and Live Updates

Day 1 of the 2013 British Open left us with plenty of storylines to follow as the tournament gets going at Muirfield. 

Zach Johnson dominated the first day on his way to the top spot on the leaderboard. He shot a 66 to go five-under par and will be tasked with trying to widen his lead on Day 2 of the prestigious tournament. 

That won't be easy, though. Starting with Mark O'Meara and Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who each finished just one stroke behind Johnson, a whole field of players are looking to catch him. 

Here's the leaderboard after Round 1, which will automatically update as the tournament progresses so you can keep up with the action along with the biggest storylines that emerged from Day 1. 

Top Storylines

Can Zach Johnson Keep It Up?

As the Day 1 leader, you have to count Zach Johnson as a serious contender from here on out, but crowning him the new favorite might be premature. 

According to the PGA Tour, Day 1 leaders have historically found it challenging to win The Open. Especially at Muirfield. 

Since 1975, just five British Open winners were the leaders after Round 1. Tiger Woods (2005), John Daly (1995), Greg Norman (1993), Seve Ballesteros (1988) and Tom Watson (1980) may have been able to pull it off, but it's a lot of pressure to deal with. 

As ESPN Stats & Info points out, Johnson got off to this kind of start before. He was five-under par in last year's tournament and finished tied for ninth. 

Whether or not he can shake the odds and keep up his strong play will be interesting going forward. 

Can 19-Year-Old Jordan Spieth Shock the Field?

There might not be a hotter player in the world right now than Jordan Spieth.

The 19-year-old made a name for himself last week when he became the first teenager to pick up a win on the PGA Tour since Ralph Guldahl in 1931 by winning the John Deere Classic, per ESPN Stats & Info.

If Spieth's opening round at Muirfield was any indication, he's not slowing down anytime soon. The former Texas Longhorn shot a 69 to go two-under par and finish tied for ninth for the day alongside Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Angel Cabrera. 

When you consider Spieth's age compared to some of the other contenders, as Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel does in this tweet, it's mind-boggling how much confidence and cool it must take for him to post great scores playing with so many veterans.

If he can keep it up, he's going to be one of the most fun players to watch throughout the weekend. 

Will Rory McIlroy Make the Cut?

Life is not so good for the No. 2 player in the world lately. 

After winning the PGA championship to close out 2012, the 24-year old couldn't put it together at the Masters or the U.S. Open. Now it appears The Open might be his worst performance yet. 

He opened up play with a ghastly 79 to go eight-over par. There's no arguing that McIlroy is capable of great things when he's on, but that's a dreadful showing. 

According to Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel, McIlroy is at least placing some of the blame on a lack of confidence.

After missing the cut at the Irish Open prior to this tournament, it's hard to argue that the mental aspect of his game is lacking. However, great players are able to fight through that adversity. 

How well McIlroy plays in Round 2 could tell us a great deal about how long it's going to take for him to break out of his slump.