Robert TheodorsonWith the first round of the 154th Open officially in the books, we now have a general idea of what the course demands of the field, and what members of the field are most likely to be sent home tomorrow night.
There were several surprises that unfolded throughout the day: favorites were beat down, the lesser-knowns looked to make names for themselves, and a surprise leader emerged atop the leaderboard. The final result was an ultra-tight leaderboard that will most assuredly get turned over on it’s head by this time tomorrow.
The 154th Open is all that we ever asked for in a major championship!
DeChambeau Silences The Haters
Bryson DeChambeau secured his first under-par round this major season with a 3-under par 67, resulting in a T4 finish on the day.
Paired with Scottie Scheffler and fellow LIV Golf colleague Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson posted the best score of the trio and did so with a clean front nine before losing two strokes including an uncharacteristically bad bogey on the Par 5 14th.
Before the tournament, Sir Nick Faldo made derogatory comments about DeChambeau’s play and presumably his chances at Royal Birkdale. For DeChambeau, negativity has surrounded the two-time U.S. Open winner all season long on the major championship circuit, as he had previously failed to make the cut at Augusta, Aronimink, and Shinnecock.
Spieth’s Struggles Continue, McIlroy Looks to Put Thursday Behind Him
The last man to win The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017 suffered a number of struggles on a course that played dry and fast, the antithesis of what Spieth mastered for his 3rd and last major championship almost a decade ago.
Shooting 73 on the day, Spieth’s lone score was a birdie on the Par 5 14th. It was a day to forget for the former champion, but Friday is a new day and should provide ample opportunity for Spieth to bounce back and make the cut. Sitting at 3-over par, Spieth will need to have a vintage performance in order to stay above the cut line.
Rory McIlroy, the presumed favorite for this 154th Open, made life difficult on himself throughout a day most has predicted he would cruise through. The Par 5 14th was a microcosm of McIlroy’s day: tee shot to rough, rough to bunker, bunker to rough, rough to edge of the green, and eventually settling for a short bogey putt. It just seemed like nothing went Rory’s way. Despite four birdies, McIlroy ended the day 2-over par and out of the Top 50.
An Unlikely Leader
Second-year PGA Tour player Jackson Suber took his victory lap around the Royal Birkdale clubhouse after posting a tournament-leading 5-under par, good for 1st place.
A relative unknown, Suber played collegiately at Ole Miss and graduated from the KFT to become a PGA Tour pro in 2025. The 154th Open marks only the third major championship Suber has played in during his young career with the other two being the U.S. Opens in 2024 and 2026.
Hometown Heroes in Play
England was well represented in the Top 25 at the end of Thursday’s action.
Hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood bounced back from some mid-round trouble and finished 1-under par, good for T24. With Fleetwood, English golfers Tyrrell Hatton, Laurie Canter, Matt Wallace, Alex Fitzpatrick, Matthew Southgate, Jordan Smith, and Daniel Brown who currently sits at T2 after shooting a 66 all dominate the Top 25!
A Couple of Former Champions’ Face Early Exits
Two-time Open winner Padraig Harrington, who won the U.S. Senior Open only a few short weeks ago, seems to have dug himself into an insurmountable hole after a 10-over par round landing him in dead last place.
Sharing in the misery on Thursday was 2019 U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland who shot a 78. Woodland was looking quite good on the PGA Tour this season; his opening round score comes as a shock to many.
It was a great day of golf for some of the field, and not so great for most, but the fans were the real winners on Thursday. Beautiful golfing conditions made for a dry, bouncy course that was treated to some light winds in the late afternoon.
Now that the field knows what to expect, will Friday bring more of the same, or will a new challenger appear and make a strong push?
