SOUTHPORT, MERSEYSIDE, ENGLAND – American Jackson Suber, on his first trip to Europe, leads the 154th Open Championship, but a cartographer’s dream are on his heels as once again the Open Championship proves itself the de facto world championship of golf, as players from around the world populate the top of the leaderboard. Though six Americans are in the top 13 after day one of the Open, players from Korea, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, and South Africa are all within three strokes of the lead.
Englishmen in particular had a strong showing in Round one. After bogeying the fourth hole, Dan Brown, the bearded Yorkshireman with the wry humor, birdied eight, nine, and 10 to close the front nine with 33, then trade two bogeys for four more birdies on the back to finish with a brilliant 4-under 66, one shot behind Suber. Fellow countrymen Matt Wallace, Jordan Smith, and Laurie Canter fired 2-under par 68s to sit three behind the lead, while twin brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick carded 1-under 69s.
After playing his first ever round of links golf in his life on Monday, Suber’s 65 featured an eagle at the par-5 17th.
“Things just really started going after the birdie on 10. I just felt like the momentum was really in my favour. Just kind of kept the ball in good spots and didn’t put much pressure on my game to make pars,” he explained, smiling contentedly. “This is my fifth day here. Monday was my first round of links golf, so I’ve played 27 holes before I played the first round today. I’ve never been to Europe.”
After posting ever par on the front nine, Suber birdied 10, 11, 14, and 16 before his scintillating 4-iron approach covered the flag at 17.
“I choked up pretty far on it almost to the shaft. Ball was way above my feet, but got it over that bunker and in that collection area and got a good bounce up on to the green,” he explained.
But that’s links golf, especially on hard, fast, firm surfaces: one sometimes even two or three bounces and on. Tod Hamilton won a Claret Jug that way in 2004 at Troon. So did Brian Harmon in 2023 at Royal Liverpool. Creative, inventive shots, especially around the greens is essential at the Open.
“This year I feel like I’ve been really coming into myself as a golfer and maturing and learning what makes — what works for me. Just learning how to deal with my golf game on the road and playing a whole year and what I need to change when things are going a certain way and kind of what I need to be — how I need to be calibrating stuff every day,” he observed candidly. He leads Sungjae Im of South Korea and home countryman Dan Brown by one stroke.
Neither the hot weather – it’s been 84 and sunny every days for over a week, and shows no sign of letting up – neither the weather nor Birkdale’s intricacies flustered the phlegmatic Im, who posted his best first-round score in six Open Championship starts. He balanced five birdies against a single bogey at the sixth, and his 4-under par back nine, including four birdies bodes well for the rest of the week.
“The wind wasn’t too strong today, so I didn’t have much trouble with my tee shots or second shots. I had visualized the course plan and memorized my tee shots and layups beforehand. Sticking to my routine worked out really well. I didn’t force anything, and whenever I had a chance, my putts dropped,” he remarked.
“I’ve had a good feeling about this course since the practice rounds,” he added. “Honestly, I’d say it’s the tightest Open course I’ve ever played. On some holes, you are forced to lay up with other clubs instead of hitting the driver, mostly because of where the bunkers are positioned. Since the club choices are basically set for you, it actually removes the risk and makes things feel much more comfortable. As long as you keep the ball on the fairway, the course doesn’t play too difficult. That aspect really suits my style. And I actually find it much easier to swing when it’s warm or hot. The current weather is absolutely perfect for me.
There were two bogey-free rounds on Thursday, Ryo Hisatsune from Japan fired a clean card 68 and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan shot a mistake free 69. They sit three and four shots behind Suber respectively.
NEWS, NOTES, and QUOTES
The 6th played as the hardest hole on day one with a stroke average of 4.35.
Bryson DeChambeau’s last four rounds at The Open add up to 264, which equals the lowest winning total in the history of the Championship.
Rory Mcilroy drove the 440-yard par-4 ninth green yesterday, en route to a poorly played 2-over 72. Six sloppy bogeys ruined his card. He’s currently tied for 89th place with work to do to make the cut.
