America's Jackson Suber will take a one-shot lead into the second round of the 2026 Open.
The 26-year-old went round Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport in five-under 65 on Thursday.
He leads England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Sungjae Im by one stroke.
A group of nine players, including Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Young, Thomas Detry and Bryson DeChambeau are a further stroke adrift.
World number one and reigning Open champion Scottie Scheffler began his quest to add a second Claret Jug to his resume with a 68.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy faces a battle to make the cut, with the Northern Irishman seven strokes adrift of Suber.
England's Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton ended the day on one under alongside their Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm.
McIlroy +2 (72), Shauffele +2 (72), Shauffele +1 (71)
Rory McIlroy finishes strongly with a birdie.
Not the day he was hoping for but at least he finishes on a positive note.
Fitzpatrick does well to get up and down having missed the green right.
Schauffele will be disappointed with his finish, missing from five feet for par to finish on one-over.
McIlroy +3 (18*)
From a lie that looks like it's going to jump, McIlroy judges his approach to the 18th perfectly.
It lands softly on the bank and rolls out to approximately four feet.
That's got to be one of the closest anybody has got to the pin all day.
Great chance to finish with a birdie.
McIlroy +3, Schauffele -1, Fitzpatrick +2 (17)
Rory McIlroy decides to play his awkward fourth shot from the greenside bunker on one knee.
And it's superb.
About eight feet is left to salvage a par.
He misses!
Lowry -1 (69), Koepka E (70), Rai +1 (71)
Shane Lowry is in the perfect position in the 18th fairway but tugs his approach left.
Not to worry, though, as he splashes out and saves par to finish in the red.
Brooks Koepka misses the green right but can't tidy up from four feet.
Aaron Rai finishes on one-over.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele -1, Fitzpatrick +2 (16)
Rory McIlroy catches a break as his wild second ends up in a perfect lie left of the green.
To say he catches his third cleanly would be an understatement.
"Oh no," he says as he watches his golf ball trickle into the bunker on the other side of the green.
McIlroy +2 (17*)
Rory McIlroy finds the right rough with his drive.
He can't quite make up his mind over what club to hit.
Sounds like Harry Diamond passed him an eight-iron.
Fore left!
That is off the charts left from the Northern Irishman, who will have his work cut to make par, let alone birdie.
Lowry -1, Koepka -1, Rai +1 (17)
Shane Lowry has an eagle putt at the 17th.
It's a tricky one, up and over a ridge, but he judges it well and taps in for a four.
Koepka found the green in two strikes, also, but his took a heavy bounce and raced to the rough long of the green.
He chips to 10 feet and converts, though.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele -1, Fitzpatrick +2 (16)
Three birdie putts at the 16th for this group but nobody can take advantage.
McIlroy races his past some three feet but manages to safely clean up for his par.
Par-five next, followed by a very difficult closing hole...
Young -3, Clark +2, Aberg +1 (16)
Cameron Young ticks off another par at the 16th to remain two back.
Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg finds a much-needed birdie.
McIlroy +2, Shauffele -1, Fitzpatrick +2 (16*)
It's been a frustrating afternoon for Rory McIlroy, who has been fairly atrocious with his putter.
But he gets a birdie putt from 15 feet to drop at the 15th, though, sparking loud cheers from the thousands still following him.
Three to play for this group.
Lowry E, Rai +1, Koepka E (16)
A terrific approach at the 16th to five feet sets up a welcome birdie for Shane Lowry.
Brooks Koepka also moves to level with a three.
Rai ticks off another par.
McIlroy +3, Schauffele -2, Fitzpatrick +2 (14)
Rory McIlroy makes a meal of the par-five 14th.
After finding the right rough, he tried to muscle a seven-iron to the green but landed in a pot bunker 90 yards short of the green.
He catches his third cleanly and can't save par.
That means he's now eight shots adrift of the lead.
Meanwhile, Schauffele two-putts for a birdie.
Fitzpatrick watches his birdie putt drift by and he trudges off the green muttering to himself.
Lowry E, Rai +1, Koepka +1 (14)
Shane Lowry was going along so nicely at two-under.
But a terrible drive at the 13th saw him drop one stroke.
And he's just somehow managed to take four to get down at the 14th green...
McIlroy +2, Fitzpatrick +2, Schauffele -1 (13)
At long last, a putt drops for Rory McIlroy.
After smashing a wonderful drive some 320 yards, McIlroy gives himself 20 feet for a birdie.
It just catches the left edge.
He shakes his head in disbelief.
He's got two par-fives and a driveable par-four to come in the closing stretch.
McIlroy +3, Schauffele -1, M Fitzpatrick +1 (12)
Matthew Fitzpatrick finds a much-needed birdie over at the 12th.
He very nearly aces the par-three but it rolls out approximately three feet past the hole.
McIlroy has the same distance but his is for par.
He's up to the task, this time, though.
And he opens his shoulders at the 13th and attempts to drive another green...
Coody -4 (16)
Pierceson Coody, the grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, finds his third birdie in five holes to join the cluster of players on four-under.
He certainly has the firepower to get home in two at the par-five 17th.
McIlroy +3, Schauffele -1, Fitzpatrick +2 (12*)
Since his mini-revival at the ninth, McIlroy has recorded back-to-back bogeys.
Lowry -2, Koepka E, Rai E (12)
A fist pump and a smile from the 2019 Open champion, who watches a 26-foot birdie putt drop at the 12th.
McIlroy +1, Schauffele -1, M Fitzpatrick +2 (9)
An incredible moment for Rory McIlroy, who drives the green on the 414-yard ninth.
McIlroy lags his second to inside three feet and this time has no problem converting.
Schauffele also follows McIlroy in for a three.
Wow.
In the blink of an eye, we have a new leader.
America's Jackson Suber sinks a short eagle putt on the 17th to move to five-under.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele E, M Fitzpatrick +2 (8)
Rory McIlroy has just missed another tiddler from four feet.
This time, there is no damage as it was for birdie.
He's clearly frustrated as he's just reached for a driver over at the driveable par-four ninth.
A risky play...
Morikawa -4 (10)
Collin Morikawa finds another birdie at the 10th to jump into a share of the lead.
The American has been struggling with a back injury since being forced out of the 2026 Players Championship in March but has been superb today.
Lowry -1, Koepka E, Rai E (9)
Shane Lowry is handy with a wedge, isn't he?
The 2019 Claret Jug winner makes the turn in the red numbers after hitting a delightful approach into the ninth.
He has no problems converting from six feet.
It's also a solid start from Koepka and Rai, with conditions much tougher this afternoon.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele E, M Fitzpatrick +2 (7)
My word did this three-ball make hard work of the short par-three seventh.
McIlroy's tee shot just about holds the green and, after lagging his golf ball to about four feet, misses a tiddler.
Fitzpatrick finds the sand but also can't save par despite playing a beautiful shot from the bunker.
Schauffele is forced to drain a 15-footer for par.
Bryson DeChambeau declined to speak to reporters in the mixed zone but he did offer a few comments to an R&A official.
"Yeah, it was a hard fought battle out there," he said.
"The wind was switching quite a bit.
"It was fun seeing the fans going at us, and they were rooting for all of us.
"It was fun just seeing the ups and downs of the group, but we all played pretty well. It was a lot of fun.
"There's some driving holes out there I've got to work on. Other than that, I played really well.
"Made some good putts and three-putted once, but that's life."
