Unknown American Jackson Suber was the surprise leader of the Open at Royal Birkdale but it was compatriot Bryson DeChambeau making waves on and off the course.
By the time the 26-year-old world number 115 had signed for a five-under 65, DeChambeau had left his mark on the links and six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo with a sarcastic response to claims he had “zero clue on strategy”.
A fast and fiery Birkdale burned Masters champion Rory McIlroy who, as a late afternoon starter, got the more difficult wind and crusty greens and missed at least three putts from inside four feet in a round of 72 which left him seven off the lead.
Two-time major winner DeChambeau is searching for his first Claret Jug but after shooting his first sub-70 major round of the year he took aim at Faldo.
On Tuesday the last English winner of the Open, in 1992, criticised the 32-year-old’s approach.
“I’d say it to his face: he has zero clue of strategy. He said it last year, I think, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never ‘attacked’ a links,” said the three-time Open champion.
DeChambeau, looking to avoid missing the cut in all four majors this year, refused to speak to the media for the fifth consecutive major round but spoke to the R&A’s in-house channel.
In one 18-second response he used the word ‘strategic’ or ‘strategy’ three times, pointedly stressing the emphasis.
“I think you’ve got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course. I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places,” he said after a 67 left him two off the lead.
“Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
McIlroy salvaged something from his round with a brilliant 198-yard approach at the last to five feet to finally sink a short birdie putt.
It still left the Northern Irishman with plenty to do if he wants to win a second Claret Jug and a seventh major to officially become the most successful European golfer of all time, as each of the last 26 Open champions have been within five of the top after round one.
“If you look at the discrepancy between the scoring this morning and this afternoon, it looks like that’s going to be flipped tomorrow with the conditions again,” said McIlroy, who won his first Masters last year after a seven-shot first-round deficit.
“Hopefully I can take advantage of the more benign conditions in the morning and get back in it.”
Suber carded six birdies and an eagle to sit one ahead of Yorkshireman Dan Brown and South Korea’s Sungae Im.
Brown is hoping his chances do not go up in smoke after getting through almost half a packet of cigarettes to cope with the stress.
Asked whether there had been any request not to light up on the tinder-dry course the 31-year-old, who carded a 65 on his major debut at Troon in 2024, said: “I’ve haven’t been told otherwise, but I’ve been making sure they’re out.
“I’m probably on seven or eight a round; stress levels go up, then probably the more I end up having.”
Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre sat alongside DeChambeau in a group which also included 2018 champion Francesco Molinari.
Defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler, at two under, said: “Any time you can shoot under par to start a major championship, it’s a good spot to be in.”
