Five Players Share Lead as Open Championship Gets Underway
The 153rd Open Championship opened at Royal Portrush with conditions as unpredictable as you'd expect on Northern Ireland’s coastline. By the end of the first round, five names were knotted at the top of the leaderboard, each scoring a 4-under 67 and setting up a weekend that looks impossible to predict. The group—Harris English, Jacobov, Haong Li Fitzpatrick, and South African Christia Bezuidenhout—turned early Thursday into a shootout, with none managing to break away from the field.
One moment that stood out among the crowd came courtesy of Bezuidenhout, who made the most of the drivable par-5 11th. He reached the green in two and rolled in a nerveless eagle putt. That big swing vaulted him into the leaders’ group, earning a fist bump from his caddie and a roar from the crowd. Harris English and Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, played solid, mistake-free golf, hunting for the same big moment but relying on a steady series of birdies across the course. With narrow fairways and tricky winds, even their safe play carried a level of risk.
Early Moves in Round Two: Glover Joins the Party, McIlroy Holds Steady
As Round Two got underway Friday morning, Lucas Glover started fast. He picked up a birdie at the seventh, nudging himself into what quickly became a six-way tie at the top. Glover’s driving accuracy and careful approach shots gave him looks at birdies that others were scrambling for in vain, showing that experience counts for a lot under major championship pressure.
Justin Thomas, never one to panic after a slow start, bounced back after an opening bogey. At the eighth, he chipped in for birdie, flashing a smile that said he wasn’t going anywhere. He backed that up with birdies on both the seventh and eighth holes, working his score down to two-under and putting himself within reach of the leaders. While Thomas was grinding away, local hero Rory McIlroy was fighting to get things going. He missed a very makeable birdie putt on the eighth but still managed to cling to two-under, keeping the home fans’ hopes alive for a charge over the next two rounds. Tommy Fleetwood and several other big names hovered just below the leaders—close enough to pounce if the weather turns or nerves start to fray as the weekend heats up.
The cut line, projected to fall around +2 or +3, will loom large for a good number of players coming into Friday afternoon. With only the top 70 advancing, every par saved or bogey avoided could mean an extra two days at Royal Portrush—or an early flight home. The Open’s first round rarely tells the whole story, but with so many contenders bunched up and the weather forecast looking mixed, this year’s battle is wide open. Keep an eye on the unpredictable and expect plenty of drama as the field fights for their shot at the Claret Jug.
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