Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world No. 1, absolutely flew out of the gates in the first round of the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, tearing up the leaderboard early. But then, things got a little... quiet. He eventually signed for a 2-under 68, putting him two strokes off the early lead held by Sungjae Im and Dan Brown. What a ride that was, seriously.
Scheffler's Electric Start Put Everyone on Notice
For a moment there, it felt like 2026 was just another repeat of last year for Scheffler. Playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton, this "eclectic threesome" had an "electric day" on the browned-out fairways. Scheffler wasted zero time making his presence felt, racking up *four* birdies in his first six holes! He was looking down at everyone else, just like he did last year at Royal Portrush. We saw some expert shotmaking from the dude. On the third hole, he laced a mid iron into a tricky right-to-left wind and bagged that birdie. Then, two holes later, he pushed his 3 wood greenside on the short par-4, hit a perfect lofted chip, and boom, another bird. He even snatched a birdie from just inside 50 feet on the very next hole, the par-4 6th. You just had to be buzzing watching that.When the Well Dried Up: A Tale of Two Nines
After that scorching start, it felt like nothing could stop him. But that birdie on the 6th? That was his last one for the day. You gotta feel a little bummed because he actually put two squares on the scorecard after that. He bogeyed the short par-3 7th with a poor wedge shot, then hit his second from the fairway out of position on the par-5 17th, missing from inside five feet for another bogey. Talk about frustrating! He made roughly 80 feet worth of putts on his outward nine, but then only managed to make 20 feet coming home. That drop-off is wild, right? Still, he led the early starters in par-4 scoring, playing those holes in 4 under, while the par 3s and par 5s were both 1 over. "Anytime you can shoot under par to start a major championship, it's a good spot to be in," Scheffler said, ever the pro. "I got off to a hot start in the round today and wasn't able to make as many birdies as I would have hoped to down the stretch. I played the par-5s in over par. My only other bogey today was a wedge on 7, so those are a little disappointing." He knows what's up. "Like I said, if I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that's part of it. Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today." He's right, it's a marathon. He's eyeing back-to-back Claret Jugs, so you know he's gonna come out swinging. Keep an eye on the leaderboards, because if he keeps striking it like he did in the first six holes, Round 2 is gonna be must-watch.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.