Open Championship debutante takes early lead at Royal Birkdale
Jackson Suber – walks to the 18th green, the leader – image R&A via Getty Images
With day one of the 154th Open Championship now in the books, 38 players head into tomorrow’s second round under par, 59 at even par or better, and all just five shots from the first round leader, American Jackson Suber, whose first round of 65 was made even more surprising, given he was playing in his very first Open Championship.
The integrity of Open Championship layouts is typically defended by the wind associated with seaside locations and firm underfoot conditions, but at Royal Birkdale today, the wind was down, and although there was firmness, the generally benign overhead conditions would mean such a large number of players under par on day one.
Interestingly, however, Royal Birkdale never offered the opportunity for a major opening round breakaway on day one, with only two players, Ryo Hitsatsune of Japan and Norway’s Kristoffer Reita, able to record bogey-free rounds, so the Open Championship’s arguably finest test was giving with one hand but taking with the other.
Those 59 players at even par or better could sleep well tonight if they knew that in the last 45 years only one player, Mark O’Meara has won the event after being more than five behind after day one.
The leader, Suber, gained his start via the qualifying spots available at the Canadian Open a few weeks ago where he finished 4th and just two weeks ago he finished 6th at the John Deere Classic so he is an already impressive player but to have played so well in his first exposure to Open Championship golf and in just his second year on the PGA Tour suggests the 26 year old has some serious game.
His final nine of 31 included an eagle at the par 5 17th where his second shot from the right-hand rough and from 233 yards finished 6 feet from the hole.
It is early doors yet, but to have begun so well and to have done so from an afternoon tee time in what is his very first trip to Europe, has been impressive to date, and the Floridian gets the chance from a 7.30 tee time tomorrow to improve his position even further.
Suber was asked how he has been able to do so well in his very first attempt at Open Championship golf. “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.
“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.
“I think I watched a YouTube video on every hole at Birkdale on Friday last week or Thursday, but besides that, yeah, just — I have a stats guy that’s helped me, of course, so just knowing that the pot bunkers are no good and stay out of those.
“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.”
Suber leads by one over Korea’s Sungae Im and England’s Daniel Brown, Brown bouncing back from an early bogey with seven birdies in his last 11 holes while Im was home in 32 after an outward nine of even par.
World number one and defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, appeared early as if he might take the tournament apart and leave all in his wake when he birdied four of the first six holes to take the lead but a bogey at the 7th and a bogey at the reachable par 5 17th, where he made a mess of second from the fairway, saw him finish at 2 under and three off the lead.
“I felt like the few shots I hit offline today, really only a couple,” said Scheffler. “I didn’t get up-and-down on 7 and then missed the fairway on 10, I’m in a pot bunker, and then on 17 was really the only other shot I hit offline and I end up in that spot. That’s a pretty good assessment.
“I felt like I could have gotten a little bit more out of it, but yeah, if I continue to do what I did today with the ball-striking I’ll be in a good spot as the week goes on.”
Scheffler was, though, happy enough with his day and is well positioned heading into day two.
“Yeah, anytime you can shoot under par to start a major championship, it’s a good spot to be in. I got off to a hot start in the round today and wasn’t able to make as many birdies as I would have hoped to down the stretch. I played the par-5s over par. My only other bogey today was a wedge on 7, so those are a little disappointing.
As I said, if I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that’s part of it. Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.”
The leading Australasians after day one are Min Woo Lee, Kazuma Kobori, Lucas Herbert, and Cameron John, who are at even par and in a share of 39th place.
Lee started well enough but a bogey at the par 5 17th one a hole which a birdie was very much in the offering for the long hitting West Australian put a dampener on an otherwise grinding start
“A bit of grit and bit of patience,” said Lee when summarising his round. “I think if I hit it like that a couple of years ago or last year, I would have probably made a lot more bogeys. It was good to grind it out and shoot level-par. “I didn’t have too much going great. So, it was good to grind it out.”
Travis Smyth is at 1 over, Ryan Fox, Daniel Hillier, and Adam Scott are at 2 over, and Jason Day and Cameron Smith are at 3 over.
With the cut already appearing to be around 2 over, all ten Australasians have the chance to make the weekend, but several will need to play well tomorrow if they are to do so.
