The Open Round 1: Links Rookie Jackson Suber Fires 65 to Lead at Royal Birkdale

Jackson Suber showed up at Royal Birkdale with 27 holes of links golf to his name. By Thursday night his name was at the top of the yellow leaderboards at The Open.

The 26-year-old American shot a 5-under 65 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the 154th Open Championship in Southport. Sungjae Im and England's Dan Brown each shot 66 and sit one back at 4 under. Nine players are bunched at 3-under 67, a crowd that includes Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Young, Robert MacIntyre, Thomas Detry, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Gerard and Alex Smalley. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a 68 and is three back.

The Rookie and the Links

Suber's story reads like a dare. He had never been to Europe before this trip, according to the PGA TOUR, and first set foot on links turf on Monday. This was only his third major start, after a 73rd at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst and a missed cut at Shinnecock Hills last month. He is still chasing a first PGA TOUR win and plays this season on conditional status after finishing 117th in the 2025 FedExCup. He got into the field through the Open Qualifying Series, thanks to a tie for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open.

None of that showed on the card. Suber made six birdies and an eagle against three bogeys, and the round caught fire on the back nine. He said things really started going after his birdie on 10. He made a 6-foot birdie at 16, then produced the shot of the day at the par-5 17th, a 4-iron from 233 yards that finished a few feet from the hole for eagle. He ranked third in the field in approach play, per the PGA TOUR.

"Just kind of kept the ball in good spots and didn't put much pressure on my game to make pars," Suber said, per the AP.

A Crowded Chase

Im and Brown both posted 66 and held the lead for a stretch before Suber's late surge. Brown tied for 10th in his major debut at Royal Troon, so this stage is not new.

The bigger picture is how bunched it is behind them. Twelve players are within two shots, and five of them were making their Open debut, per the AP. That list includes Smalley, who sat atop the leaderboard early before the 18th bit him. His drive clattered off a spectator fence, kicked right and went out of bounds, and the double bogey dropped him from the top to 67. "Poor tee shot, poor break. Sometimes that's how it goes," Smalley said. It was a familiar sting for a player who has already felt major pressure, having carried a two-shot lead into the final round of a PGA Championship.

Collin Morikawa also had a share of the lead for a moment, bouncing back from an opening bogey with five birdies between Nos. 2 and 10, before settling for 68.

Bryson Brings the Driver

DeChambeau's 67 was the loudest round in the 67 pack. He hit only four fairways and still missed just three greens. He took driver over the bunkers on the par-4 second and the par-4 10th, a blind shot, and birdied both. His only dropped shots came on the par-5 14th, where the putter let him down, and on the 18th, where a chip did.

DeChambeau's own verdict, per the AP, was that he needs to hit more fairways.

That bomb-and-gouge plan has critics, Nick Faldo loudly among them on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast. For one day, at least, DeChambeau had the better side of the argument. Jon Rahm, who warned that going long can catch up with a player, opened with a 69.

Scheffler Fast, Then Quiet

Scheffler came out like a defending champion in a hurry. He made four birdies in his first six holes, capped by a 40-footer at No. 6, and was 4 under before Birkdale pushed back. He missed the green at the seventh, played the two par 5s in 1 over and did not make another birdie over his final 12 holes.

He still sounded pleased, reminding reporters that the championship runs 72 holes and that he liked what he saw from his ball striking.

McIlroy's Long Day on the Greens

The rough day belonged to Rory McIlroy. He shot 2-over 72 with six bogeys and missed putts from inside 4 feet on Nos. 7, 8 and 10. According to the PGA TOUR, he ranked 155th of 156 players in Strokes Gained: Putting. His lone jolt was a 389-yard drive that reached the ninth green and set up his first birdie. He sits seven back.

Other big names have ground to make up too. Ryan Fox and Matt Fitzpatrick also opened with 72, Sam Burns shot 73 and Lucas Herbert posted 70. Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, with Southport galleries behind him, shot 69.

Firm, Fast and Getting Breezier

Birkdale played firm and fast all day, with almost no wind in the morning and a breeze that freshened through the afternoon. Data Golf had the morning wave averaging 71.0, more than a stroke and a half better than the afternoon group as of late afternoon, per the PGA TOUR.

The list of names behind Suber is long and loaded, and Friday will tell whether a links rookie can keep the ball in good spots for another 18. The cut comes after 36 holes, and with 12 players inside two shots, nobody near the top has room to relax.

Follow the scoring on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and read the AP's full Round 1 report on PGA TOUR (opens in a new tab). For a look back, here is how Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 1 report, live updates and leaderboard), AP. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.