British Open Thursday live updates, leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler is on a heater early

The 2026 Open Championship has commenced at Royal Birkdale, with the first round of play featuring a mix of established stars and unexpected leaders. According to coverage from Sky Sports, Jackson Suber grabbed a shock lead during the opening round on Thursday. Other top contenders such as Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Robert MacIntyre also recorded strong starts on the first day. While ESPN reported that Scheffler eventually failed to capitalize on his early momentum, Yahoo Sports UK noted that he remained in the hunt as the leaderboard shifted. Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Tommy Fleetwood are also competing in the event as it returns to a modified version of the Royal Birkdale course. Major media outlets have focused heavily on the early performance of high-profile golfers and the logistics of the tournament.

Fox News highlighted Bryson DeChambeau's 3-under 67, noting that this score silences critics following three consecutive missed cuts in major tournaments. The Guardian and BBC have both focused on the environmental and physical conditions of the venue, describing the course as sun-baked. The BBC specifically cited comments from Scheffler and McIlroy suggesting that weird events are likely to happen on the current course layout. Additionally, Fried Egg Golf has raised concerns regarding the specific changes made to Royal Birkdale for the 2026 event. Contextual details provided by the coverage explain the high stakes of this particular championship. The R&A announced a prize money increase of $750,000 for the 2026 tournament, as detailed by the Golf Channel.

The narrative surrounding the event is framed as an old chase for the claret jug at a new version of Royal Birkdale, according to AP News. Personal motivations are also surfacing, with Yahoo Sports reporting that Sam Burns only participated in the Open because of his wife, quoting him as saying, I've got this at home, regarding his reasons for not skipping the event. Looking forward, the focus shifts to the subsequent rounds and the final outcome of the tournament. GOLF.com and CBS Sports have provided comprehensive TV schedules, streaming guides, and tee times for the second round of play on Friday. USA Today has implemented a live projected cut line tracker to determine which players will advance beyond the initial stages. As the event progresses toward the final round, the Golf Channel and BBC are providing live updates, scores, and highlights to track who will ultimately secure the claret jug.