Jackson Suber Shoots 5-Under 65 to Lead 154th Open at Royal Birkdale

Jackson Suber holds a one-stroke lead at the 154th Open Championship after carding a 5-under 65 in his first-ever round of links golf.

Jackson Suber leads the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club after posting a 5-under 65 in Thursday's opening round. The 26-year-old from Tampa, Florida, holds a one-stroke advantage over Sungjae Im and Dan Brown heading into Friday. Suber, a former Ole Miss standout, recorded two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine before playing the final five holes in 4-under par. His late surge included an 11-foot birdie on the 14th, a 6-foot birdie on the 16th, and a 7-foot eagle on the par-5 17th. On that 17th hole, he followed a 323-yard drive with a 233-yard 4-iron approach that he hit while choked up nearly to the shaft.

Suber is the seventh golfer to record a score of 65 or lower in an Open Championship held at Royal Birkdale, according to Justin Ray. The only player to go lower at this venue was Craig Stadler, who shot a 64 in 1983. Remarkably, Suber had never visited Europe before Saturday and had only played 27 holes of links golf prior to his competitive debut. To prepare, he watched YouTube videos of every hole at Birkdale and collaborated with statistician and caddie Greyson Porter. Suber entered the week with three top-six finishes in his last six PGA Tour starts after switching to a new Titleist driver and ball.

DeChambeau and Scheffler Chase the Lead

Bryson DeChambeau sits in a tie for fourth place after carding a 3-under 67. Playing with a full set of 3D-printed irons, DeChambeau gained 2.5 strokes on approach but lost 1.3 strokes on the greens. He hit only four fairways, marking the 14th time in a major he has hit four or fewer fairways in a single round. However, his 15 greens in regulation represented his highest total in a major round when missing that many fairways. A bogey on the 18th hole prevented him from finishing closer to Suber.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished with a 2-under 68, placing him in a tie for 13th. Scheffler began his round by birdying four of the first six holes, sinking 72 feet, 2 inches of putts during that span. While he hit all five fairways and six greens to start, his putting slowed on the back nine, where he made only 25 feet, 8 inches of putts over the final 12 holes. A wayward approach on the par-5 17th resulted in his ball settling under a wire in deep rough, leading to his second bogey of the day.

McIlroy Struggles on the Greens

Rory McIlroy ended the first round at 2-over par, ranking 148th in the field for putting. The reigning Masters champion lost 2.72 strokes on the green, which included a two-putt from inside 4 feet on the 7th hole and a missed 4-footer for par on the 10th. McIlroy also struggled around the greens, ranking 144th in strokes gained in that category (-1.25). He carded bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine, hitting into a deep fairway bunker on the 14th and failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker on the 17th.

This marks the sixth time McIlroy has opened The Open with an over-par score. In previous instances, he missed the cut three times, though he managed a fourth-place finish in 2017. He noted that the dry, firm conditions exaggerated the spin on his shots, comparing the green textures to those found at Pebble Beach during a U.S. Open. Shane Lowry remains in contention at 1-under 69, despite a shift in wind direction off the Irish Sea that increased the difficulty for the afternoon wave.

Notable Players Facing the Cut Line

Several high-profile players finished the first round well outside the lead. Gary Woodland carded an 8-over par, while Joaquin Niemann finished at 6-over. Justin Rose posted a 5-over par, and a large group including Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jason Day, and Wyndham Clark all finished at 3-over. Defending champion Smith noted that crosswinds pushed several of his drives just 1 or 2 yards into the rough, leading to bogeys. Other players at 2-over par include Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, and Hideki Matsuyama. These competitors will look for better conditions during the Friday morning wave to secure their spots for the weekend.