Open Championship Round 1: McIlroy struggles to two-over par 72, links first-timer Suber charges to summit

While the Masters champion flattered to deceive, the 26-year-old from Tampa who had never played links golf before his arrival at Royal Birkdale four days earlier, went on to top the leaderboard on the first day at Southport

STRUGGLING: Masters champion Rory McIlroy reacts on the 15th, during a round which say him post a two over par 72. Pic: David Davies/PA

The Open Championship has long had a reputation for thrusting lesser lights onto one of golf’s greatest stages but even the oldest major will struggle to throw up a more unlikely first-round leader than American Jackson Suber.

Jackson who? While Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second Claret Jug turned into a battle with his putter which saw the Irishman’s body language veer between perplexed and agitated throughout an opening, two over par 72, Suber will start Friday’s second round on top of the 18-hole leaderboard following a five-under-par 65.

What makes that all the more remarkable is the fact the 26-year-old from Tampa, Florida had never played links golf before his arrival at Royal Birkdale four days earlier. And this was his first trip across the Atlantic.

Suber earned his Open spot having claimed one of the qualifier spots on offer from the R&A at last month’s Canadian Open. Given the meticulous preparation of his PGA Tour peers for the majors, Suber’s approach was at the Happy Gilmore end of the scale. His preparation for the links golf came from watching hole by hole YouTube videos of the Birkdale layout and it paid off royally on Thursday as he carded an eagle three at the 17th and six further birdies, offset by three bogeys.

“This is my fifth day here,” he said. “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.

NEW KID: Jackson Suber leads the pack. Jacob King/PA

“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.” 

Suber takes a one-shot lead into day two here, with Korean Sungjae Im and Daniel Brown of England tied for second following 66s and eight players, including Bryson DeChambeau, Scotland’s Bob McIntyre and Cameron Young a further shot back on three under par.

McIlroy, meanwhile, has some work to do to climb into contention ahead of the weekend. The back-to-back Masters champion and world number two went through the wringer over his opening 18 holes as the course toughened for the later starters, signing for a two-over-par 72.

A cold putter was his primary issue, the six-time major champion missing three four-footers early on and he was visibly agitated after seeing his short putt lip out on the way to a bogey at the par-three seventh, a miss that sent him to two over par.

McIlroy gave himself the same look at the par-three 12th but though he sank that one for an important par save, he would finish his round ranked 150th of 156 for Strokes Gained: Putting.

He took out his obvious frustration on his big club, driving the green at the 414-yard par-four ninth and two-putting for his first birdie of the day.

His second came at the par-four 13th, courtesy of another monster drive of 338 yards, and sending his approach out of some light rough to 23 feet, from where he did manage to sink a putt.

There was still time for two birdies and two bogeys. Yet after a horror show at the 17th when he went from rough to rough to a greenside bunker, splashing out with a shot played on one knee on the rim of the trap, and two-putting from eight feet, McIlroy at least finished with a flourish, sending his 198-yard approach to inside five foot for a successful birdie putt.

“I drove the ball incredibly well,” McIlroy said. “I took the golf course on off the tee. Obviously with the positions that I put myself in off the tee, I feel like I should have shot a better score. Played the hard holes well. Birdied 13, 15 and 18 on the back.

“The two bogeys on the par-fives wasn't great and I struggled the first two holes to get the speed of the greens. I felt like they were very inconsistent, just because some parts of the greens are still alive and growing and other parts … went really dead.

“Struggled with that early on. Sort of felt like I got it going a little bit, but just too many stupid mistakes. But every time I made a stupid mistake, thankfully I made a birdie to sort of keep myself in it.

“Not too far away. Hopefully we'll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning. Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend.” McIlroy’s rollercoaster round was in stark contrast to defending champion Scottie Scheffler’s opening two-under 68. The American holed birdies on four of his opening six holes and he was satisfied with his day’s work.

“It's a good spot to be in,” Scheffler 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 home challenge, bidding to deliver a first Open victory by an Englishman for the first time since Nick Faldo in 1992, got off to a solid if unspectacular start. Local hero Tommy Fleetwood was the best of the fancied horses with an opening one-under 69, while world number three Matt Fitzpatrick was outgunned by his younger brother Alex, who also shot a 69. The senior sibling carded a 72.