Royal Birkdale: McIlroy plots Open comeback after challenging first round

By Mason Reed — 17 July 2026 — 4 min read

Rory McIlroy is aiming to recover his position at The Open after a difficult opening round at Royal Birkdale. The Masters champion finished his first day two over par, placing him seven shots behind the leader, Jackson Suber. McIlroy faced challenging conditions during Thursday afternoon’s play, including stronger winds and firmer greens, which he noted contributed to higher scores compared to the morning starters.

Reflecting on his round of 72, McIlroy acknowledged struggles with his putting. Despite this, he expressed optimism for the second round, anticipating more favorable morning conditions. He noted the scoring discrepancy between morning and afternoon play on the first day and hoped to capitalize on the expected calmer weather to improve his standing.

McIlroy’s First Round Struggles and Outlook

McIlroy’s performance on Thursday was marked by missed putts. He missed putts from inside four feet on the seventh and eighth holes, and another from just over four feet on the tenth. Over his first 12 holes, he missed six putts from within 12 feet. Although he managed a 23-foot birdie on the 13th, he gave the shot back with a bogey on the par-5 14th.

Another 12-foot putt for birdie on the 15th was followed by another bogey on the par-5 17th, bringing his total of missed putts from inside 12 feet to eight for the round. He closed his round with a birdie on the 18th. Playing the par-5s in two-over is not typical for McIlroy, highlighting the challenges he faced.

Early Starters and Key Contenders

As McIlroy began his second round, he was joined by playing partners Matt Fitzpatrick, who also stood at two over, and 2024 champion Xander Schauffele, who was one over. Other notable players teeing off early included US PGA champion Aaron Rai, one over, and US Open champion Wyndham Clark, three over.

An early indication of improved scoring conditions came from Tiger Christensen, who birdied his first two holes after an early start, moving to three over. Meanwhile, Jackson Suber, the world number 115, had an early tee time to demonstrate that his impressive opening 65 was not an anomaly. Suber’s career-best finish was fourth at the Canadian Open last month.

Many were unfamiliar with the 26-year-old American Suber before his performance. He qualified for The Open by finishing tied for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open. Suber’s opening round was the lowest of the day at Royal Birkdale, where he gained over six strokes on the field. He holds a one-shot lead over Daniel Brown and Sungjae Im, both of whom shot 66s.

Suber has previously competed in two majors, missing the cut at this year’s U.S. Open and finishing 73rd in the 2024 U.S. Open. He has had a strong year on the PGA Tour, with four top-20 finishes since May, including a solo fourth at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the aforementioned tie for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open, and a tie for sixth at the John Deere Classic.

Other Players in Contention

Several other players are also in contention for the Claret Jug after solid opening rounds. Bryson DeChambeau was tied for fourth overnight at three under par. Home favorites Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton were two shots further back at one under par. They were joined by Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner whose best result at The Open was tied for second in 2023.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also had a strong first round, shooting a 68. He made birdie on four of his first six holes but stalled later in the round, making two bogeys without any further birdies. Scheffler, like McIlroy, missed some short putts, including a five-footer on the 11th and a four-and-a-half-footer on the 17th.

DeChambeau posted a 3-under 67, outperforming Scheffler by one shot. This was DeChambeau’s best major round of the year, as he had not shot under par in any of his six major rounds in 2026 and had missed the cut in the first three majors this year. In the afternoon wave, world No. 4 Cameron Young shot a 67, joining a group of nine players tied for fourth place.

The leaderboard at The Open Championship features a mix of top players such as Scheffler, DeChambeau, and Young, alongside lesser-known players like Suber, Daniel Brown, Pierceson Coody, and Alex Smalley. This sets the stage for an intriguing weekend of golf.

Source: sports.yahoo.com

Mason Reed

Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.