Brown leads English contingent at The Open, McIlroy struggles in opening round
Brown’s strong start at Royal Birkdale
Dan Brown, a 31-year-old English golfer, began the 154th Open Championship with a strong performance, shooting a four-under 66 on the first day at Royal Birkdale. This placed him one shot behind the leader, Jackson Suber of the US, who finished five under par. Brown‘s round included birdies on the eighth and ninth holes, and five more on the back nine, recovering from an early bogey on the fourth. His score was matched by Im Sung-jae of South Korea among the morning starters.
Brown‘s early success contributes to a notable English presence on the leaderboard, with eight English players finishing under par after the first round. This performance has raised hopes for an English winner, a feat not achieved on home soil since Tony Jacklin in 1969 at Royal Lytham & St Annes, and not by any English player since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
The golfer from Yorkshire, known for his distinctive character, has been vigilant about disposing of cigarettes safely on the course due to the dry conditions at Royal Birkdale. He mentioned smoking several cigarettes during his round, ensuring they were extinguished properly to prevent any fire risk. Brown‘s previous best at The Open was a tie for 10th place at Troon two years prior.
Fleetwood’s solid performance and McIlroy’s challenges
Local favourite Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up near Southport, also made a solid start, finishing one-under par with a 69. This marks a significant improvement from his opening round at Birkdale in 2017. Fleetwood‘s round included an early birdie on the fifth, and despite bogeys on the 10th and 12th, he secured another birdie on the 15th and a final one on the 17th to finish under par. He expressed nervousness at the start but felt the crowd’s support helped him through.
In contrast, Masters champion Rory McIlroy faced a challenging first round, ending the day seven shots behind the leader. The Northern Irishman recorded a two-over 72, which included six bogeys and four birdies. McIlroy struggled particularly with his putting, missing several key putts, though he finished positively with a birdie on the 18th hole. He will need to improve to ensure he makes the weekend cut, with more favourable conditions expected for his early Friday round.
Other English golfers who finished under par include Jordan Smith, Matt Wallace, Laurie Canter, Alex Fitzpatrick, Matthew Southgate, and Tyrrell Hatton. However, pre-tournament favourite Matt Fitzpatrick finished two over par after contending with tougher, windier conditions later in the day.
Leaderboard and tournament outlook
Jackson Suber, a 26-year-old American, leads the tournament at five under par. This is Suber‘s first time playing in Europe, and his previous experience on links courses was limited to this week at Birkdale. Following him are Dan Brown and Im Sung-jae at four under.
A larger group of players, including Robert MacIntyre of Scotland, two-time major winner Bryson DeChambeau, and 2018 champion Francesco Molinari, are two shots behind Suber at three under par. McIlroy remains optimistic despite his difficult start, believing he can improve his position over the coming days.
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Source: bbc.com
