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Jackson Suber stole the spotlight during the opening round of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The 26-year-old American fired a brilliant 5-under 65 to grab the solo lead after Thursday’s play. His impressive round came during just his third career major championship appearance. Even more remarkable, it marked his first competitive trip to Europe after playing only 27 holes of links golf before the tournament.
Suber’s round featured steady golf from start to finish. He reached the turn at even-par before catching fire on the back nine. Birdies at the 10th, 11th, and 16th moved him into contention. Then he produced one of the day’s biggest moments on the par-5 17th. His 233-yard approach settled within seven feet, leading to an eagle that pushed him to 5-under. He closed with a par on the 18th to secure the outright lead.
Sungjae Im and England’s Dan Brown finished one shot behind Suber after matching 4-under 66s. The pair played together during the morning wave and handled Royal Birkdale’s demanding conditions with confidence. Brown continued the strong Open form that began at Royal Troon in 2024, where he briefly challenged near the top before finishing tied for 10th.
A large group shared fourth place at 3-under 67. That group included Bryson DeChambeau, Robert MacIntyre, Francesco Molinari, Alex Smalley, Ryan Gerard, M.J. Daffue, Pierceson Coody, Cameron Young, and Thomas Detry. Each player positioned himself well heading into Friday despite the difficult layout.
World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler also remained firmly in contention. Scheffler opened with a 2-under 68 after a fast start. He birdied four of his first six holes and briefly held the tournament lead. Although he cooled during the back nine, he finished only three shots behind Suber.
Collin Morikawa also carded a 68 after recovering from an opening-hole bogey. The 2021 Open champion responded with five birdies over his next nine holes. His outstanding iron play once again became his greatest strength. Morikawa ranked among the PGA TOUR’s best approach players entering the week, and that accuracy showed throughout his opening round. Henrik Stenson, Jordan Smith, and Victor Perez also posted 2-under 68s. Several experienced players stayed within striking distance as the championship entered its second day.
Royal Birkdale once again proved why many golfers consider it one of the toughest links courses in the Open rotation. The par-70 layout measured 7,223 yards and rewarded patience more than power. Firm fairways and lightning-fast greens challenged every player, while strategically placed pot bunkers forced constant decisions from the tee.
Robert MacIntyre demonstrated one successful approach by relying on irons instead of driver. He frequently chose 5-irons and 7-irons from the tee to avoid trouble. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau attacked several holes with driver and nearly drove the green on the par-4 10th. Both strategies produced solid scores, showing there was no single formula for success.
The morning wave enjoyed calmer conditions than the afternoon groups. Data Golf showed the morning players averaged 71.0 strokes, while the afternoon average climbed to 72.6 as stronger winds arrived. That difference became noticeable as many late starters struggled to match the early scores. Rory McIlroy endured one of the most frustrating rounds of the day. The reigning Masters champion never found consistency with his putter. He missed three putts from inside four feet on the seventh, eighth, and 10th holes.
Although he thrilled fans with a massive 389-yard drive that reached the ninth green and led to a birdie, he quickly gave those shots back with bogeys. McIlroy’s struggles continued throughout the afternoon. He ranked 155th out of 156 players in Strokes Gained: Putting after losing more than three strokes on the greens. A birdie at the closing 18th provided a small boost, but he still signed for a 2-over 72. He ended the day tied for 85th place, seven shots behind Suber. Matt Fitzpatrick also disappointed after entering the tournament among the favorites. The Englishman failed to make his first birdie until the 12th hole and never gained momentum. He matched McIlroy with a 2-over 72 and faces plenty of work to climb back into contention.
Xander Schauffele also missed an opportunity to finish under par. A costly double bogey on the closing hole left the former Open champion with a 1-over 71. Other notable scores came from Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm, who each opened with 1-under 69s. Jordan Spieth struggled to a 3-over 73, while Justin Rose finished with a 5-over 75. Alex Smalley briefly shared the tournament lead before disaster struck on the final hole. His tee shot sailed out of bounds on the par-4 18th. After returning to the tee, he recovered well enough to make par with his second ball.
However, the penalty resulted in a double bogey that dropped him from 5-under to 3-under. The championship began with local favorite Matthew Baldwin hitting the opening tee shot. Baldwin, a member at Royal Birkdale, admitted the course played much faster than usual because of the dry conditions. He especially noticed the speed of the greens, which surprised even someone familiar with the layout.
Several featured groups attracted massive crowds throughout Thursday. Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, and Bryson DeChambeau teed off at 9:56 a.m. Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, and Jon Rahm followed at 10:09 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Matt Fitzpatrick headlined the afternoon with a 3:15 p.m. tee time. Other featured groups included Justin Rose, Russell Henley, and Viktor Hovland at 9:36 a.m., plus Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, and Ludvig Åberg at 3:04 p.m.
After one round, Jackson Suber owns the lead with a 5-under 65. However, the leaderboard remains packed with major champions and top-ranked players. With Royal Birkdale expected to provide another stern examination, the race for the Claret Jug remains wide open heading into the second round.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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