The 154th Open Championship kicked off today from Royal Birkdale, bringing Golf's very best to a challenging Northern course for the final Major of the year. With a heatwave gracing English shores, the Golf has only followed suit during the opening round.
Jackson Suber leads the field after Thursday after shooting -5, holding a one-shot lead over Sungjae-Im and England's Daniel Brown. It's been a remarkable start for Suber. He was a PGA Tour rookie back in 2025 and picked up a 4th place finish at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson earlier this year, picking up 3 top 10-s in his last 5 events. The Florida native looked right at home around Royal Birkdale, registering 6 birdies and an Eagle on the 16th.
Not everyone had that same luck, however. Masters Champion Rory McIlroy struggled long into the evening, finishing +2. While DataGolf still has him at 69% to make the cut, his odds of winning sit at just 1.6%.
One of his biggest rivals, Bryson DeChambeau, had a much better day at the office, sitting -3 after an exceptional start. DeChambeau has posted various social media videos this week discussing how he's aiming to keep the ball low and out of the thick stuff, and so far, so good. His +5.73 shots gained from tee-2-green rank higher than anyone else in the field, boding well for the former US Open Champion.
Scottie Scheffler knows what it takes to win on English soil, coming into this event as the reigning Open champion. His round was solid, like Bryson, gaining most of his shots from tee-2-green.
Other notable names to finish under par included Colin Morikawa (-2), Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, and Shane Lowry (-1).
The cutline projects to be at around the +2 mark, leaving the likes of McIlroy, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, and Justin Rose, with a lot to do on Friday.
For now, all eyes are on Jackson Suber. Could he be destined for not only a first PGA Tour win, but a Major too?
We will have coverage from Royal Birkdale on Championship Sunday, so be sure to stay tuned for all the action!
