Nobody told Jackson Suber that experience is crucial to succeeding on the links golf setups of the Open Championship.
The American's first-ever round at The Open ended with the entire field in his wake after a 5-under 65 gave him a one-stroke lead on Dan Brown and Sungjae Im at a hard-baked Royal Birkdale.
Bryson DeChambeau's first under-par round at a major championship this year put him alongside Cameron Young in a large group tied for fourth, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler is three back at 2-under.
| Place | Golfer | Total to par | Round 1 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson Suber | -5 | 65 |
| T-2 | Dan Brown | -4 | 66 |
| T-2 | Sungjae Im | -4 | 66 |
| T-4 | Bryson DeChambeau | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Cameron Young | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Robert MacIntyre | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Francesco Molinari | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Thomas Detry | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Alex Smalley | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Pierceson Coody | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Ryan Gerard | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | MJ Daffue | -3 | 67 |
| T-13 | Scottie Scheffler | -2 | 68 |
| T-13 | Collin Morikawa | -2 | 68 |
| T-13 | Si Woo Kim | -2 | 68 |
| T-13 | Henrik Stenson | -2 | 68 |
| T-13 | 7 others tied | -2 | 68 |
Suber was barely mentioned on Thursday's broadcast as he cruised along at 2-under until an electric finish vaulted him into top spot. The highlight was a majestic approach from 231 yards to 6 feet for eagle on the 17th. He went 4-under over his final five holes to seize the solo first-round lead.
So how did a guy who had never been to Europe until this week look like a seasoned veteran on the links?
"I'm not really sure, but I feel like I've just been playing good the last few months and just knowing that good golf is going to take care of everything, and really trusting my caddie to figure out where we're going to hit it," Suber said.
While Suber's brilliant debut at The Open may come as a surprise, that kind of performance is becoming the norm at golf's oldest major. Suber is the fourth Open rookie in the last five years to either lead outright or co-lead after the first round, according to Justin Ray of the The Athletic.
If Suber was the story of the afternoon, the morning belonged to the combo of Dan Brown and Bryson DeChambeau.
Brown held the first-round Open lead two years ago at Royal Troon. He's as famous for his golf as for his habit of smoking cigarettes while playing - a hot topic during his press availability.
Brown fielded multiple questions about cigarettes, including an inquiry as to whether he was allowed to smoke given the conditions at Birkdale.
"Yeah. Hopefully for the rest of the week. There might be a big drop-off by Sunday if I'm not allowed," Brown joked. "Sorry, mom. I'm probably on like seven or eight a round, I would say."
Meanwhile, the build-up to Royal Birkdale was headlined by three-time Open champion Nick Faldo calling out DeChambeau's lack of strategy on links courses.
The two-time U.S. Open champion responded with a 67 - his first under-par round at a major this season. He could have topped the leaderboard if his putter cooperated: DeChambeau led the field in birdie chances under 10 feet on the day but failed to convert on numerous occasions. While he didn't do media afterward, he did answer questions from a R&A media member and heavily referenced his strategy.
DeChambeau wasn't the only one in his group making noise Thursday morning, as defending champion Scottie Scheffler held the lead at one point after four birdies in his opening six holes. He faded on the back nine but remains in excellent position to make a run at a fifth major title just three off the lead.
That's not the case for the other pre-tournament favorite, Rory McIlroy. The six-time major champ battled an ice-cold putter late in the day and finished 148th out of 156 players on the greens in the opening round. However, he did provide a crowd-pleasing birdie on the treacherous 18th to sit seven back of the lead.
