Overview
- Jackson Suber, making his first trip to Europe and playing links golf for only a few days, shot a five‑under 65 to take the outright lead after the opening round Thursday at Royal Birkdale.
- He closed with an eagle at the 17th and finished one shot clear of Sungjae Im and England’s Dan Brown after a back‑nine surge.
- Betting markets reacted sharply to Suber’s score, with reports that his odds to win shortened dramatically and pushed him into serious contention on the oddsboard.
- Defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau posted steady starts of 68 and 67 respectively while Rory McIlroy struggled with putting and made a two‑over 72 to sit seven shots back.
- Royal Birkdale’s firm, fast fairways, pot bunkers and shifting wind rewarded precise course management and short‑game play, so changing tee‑time conditions over the next two rounds could flip the leaderboard and leave recovery possible for those trailing the lead.