There were really no big surprises in Round 1 at the Open Championship…depending on how you felt about Tiger Woods coming into the event.

It’s been eight years since Woods’ triumphant march around Hoylake and the man appeared to be a significantly weakened player from his 2006 venture around these links.

But on Thursday the 38-year-old survived a rocky start and fired an opening-round 69, a similar score to his first day in 2006. And Woods employed the same conservative strategy off the tee and hit his only driver of the day on No. 16—the exact scenario in 2006.

There were other stories besides Woods though, and a lack of shocking performances did not mean a boring first round. How could you not be entertained when this happened? Or by the Ernie Els putting adventure? (For the sadistic side in us.)

Hoylake once again proved it is very scoreable with little to no wind, but the course was not completely defenseless like it was in 2006. In a calm opening round eight years ago, 67 players broke par and 19 matched or bettered 4-under. In virtually the same conditions Thursday, those numbers were 48 and 9, respectively.

Sure the pins were tucked, but the same tactic was used in 2006. It looks like the added ferocity of the rough is making a small but substantial difference.

Anyway, for those who missed part or all of the action, here are the three main important events of Round 1 at The Open.

Rory and The Young Guns lead the way

The oldest tournament in golf belonged to the youth on Thursday.

Matteo Manassero commenced the fireworks in the morning wave by holing his third shot from the fairway on No. 1 for an improbable opening birdie. The severely underrated 21-year-old continued his fine play, pouring in six more birdies against two bogeys to come in at 5-under 67 and alone in second.

The intriguing American prospect Brooks Koepka, fresh off a top-five finish at the U.S. Open, looks to be in the fight for another at Hoylake with an opening 4-under 68.

The 22-year-old Japan sensation Hideki Matsuyama quietly posted a very respectable 3-under 69 that puts him three off the lead.

The biggest story among the young guns though was Rory McIlroy, who fired a 6-under 66 to capture a one-shot lead at the day’s end.

In case you swore off watching golf at the end of 2013 and weirdly chose to return now, you’ll know that this Northern Irishman likes to hold 18-hole leads.

This is McIlroy’s FOURTH 18-hole lead already this season. While only five 18-hole leaders in the entire history of The Open Championship have gone on to win, this is good news for the 25-year-old. Because if there’s anything we know about Rory in 2014, it’s that he really flourishes in the second round. Or not…

OK so Mr. 78 is not really on friendly terms with Fridays, but McIlroy is too talented to not snap out of it soon.

McIlroy didn’t hesitate out of the gate Thursday, hitting his opening approach to 10 feet, following that up with a laser to six inches on No. 2 and firing another strike to 6 feet on No 3. He only converted for birdie on No. 2, but his iron play and driving mostly remained immaculate throughout the rest of the front nine and it paced him to a 3-under 32.

The back nine wasn’t so clean tee-to-green, but it didn’t matter. Great touch around the greens early and late in the back nine yielded birdies on par-fives and important pars to avoid stemming the tide of his momentum. A more lukewarm putter kept him tracking toward a matching 3-under total on the back.

For those looking for Rory to falter on Day Two, he did receive a series of fortunate breaks over the final holes. A hooked drive on No. 14 miracoulosly bounced back into the fairway, poor approaches on the next two holes netted much easier pitches than could have been and a pulled drive on No. 17 somehow finished up in a five-yard slither where spectators trampled the grass.

McIlroy can’t expect these events to go his way on Day Two, but regardless he is out fast and can set on conquering those second-round demons.

Tiger starts slow, then ignites

OK, we definitely have to talk more about this: Tiger’s back. In all seriousness, for one day at least, Woods silenced his critics.

At the beginning, he appeared every bit a man who’d played one event since March. Woods bogeyed his first two holes, and was so out of tune that he needed to hole two testing putts just to post 2-over through four holes.

Then, the light went on. Woods rolled in a 12-footer for birdie on the fifth, and that seemed to spark his charge.

The swing suddenly looked seasoned and the putter was warm, a combination that manifested itself on the back nine. A 30-foot birdie putt from off the green on No. 11 placed Woods back at Even, and it was only the start. Gorgeous six-irons on the next two holes gave him a pair of chances inside 10 feet, both of which he nailed to reach 2-under.

A bogey and two more birdies on the way in earned Woods a 3-under 69 and a T10 at the end of Day One.

It was a magnetic display from the 38-year-old in all parts of the game, as he ripped up Hoylake’s final 16 holes in 5-under. Like McIlroy, he also benefited from a bit of good fortune (fantastic lies in the rough on Nos. 14 and 17). He did lip out three putts, but all three were running pretty fast, so hardly unlucky stuff.

Overall, Thursday’s performance was a great sign for Woods. Three back after Day One, he right where he wants to be.

Big Names Mostly Show Up

In the major championships, we’re usually good for a number of big names to post abysmal first rounds and take themselves out of the running after 18 holes.

But that didn’t really happen this Thursday.

Ernie Els (7-over), Patrick Reed (6-over), Webb Simpson (4-over) and Bubba Watson (4-over) posted the only remarkably bad scores among the recognizable names of golf. Phil Mickelson (2-over), Graeme McDowell (2-over) Luke Donald (1-over), Jason Day (1-over), Martin Kaymer (1-over) and Matt Kuchar (1-over) were mediocre but far from the truly terrible that lose you a tournament on Day One.

Click here to read about Day’s continued thumb injury problems, which resurfaced in Round 1.

And plenty of the stars shined Thursday. We’ve already talked about McIlroy, Matsuyama and Woods. Joining them at the table were Jason Dufner (2-under), Louis Oosthuizen (2-under), Jimmy Walker (3-under), Rickie Fowler (3-under), Jim Furyk (4-under) and Sergio Garcia (4-under).

Oh, and someone named Adam Scott is also 4-under. A guy nobody picked to win.

After Day One we have a very conventional leaderboard with predictable story lines played out. That’s OK though.

It was still compelling theater and there are still three days for the golf gods to mess things up.