Thursday at Royal Portrush delivered the full links golf sampler platter: sunshine, sideways rain, calm breezes that turned into gusty tantrums, and a leaderboard that shifted with the weather.
If you were looking for low numbers, consistency, or a quick round, this wasn’t your day. But if you came for drama, resilience, and flashes of brilliance in tough conditions, The Open delivered in classic fashion.
Scheffler Stays in the Hunt, Even When He’s Not Perfect
Scottie Scheffler is right there in the mix. Of course he is. The world No. 1 hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in four months, and on a day when most guys were just trying to survive, Scheffler managed a tidy 68. The stat sheet says he hit only three of 14 fairways. Scheffler says not so fast.
“I actually thought I drove it pretty good,” he said, shrugging off the numbers and the narrative. “When it’s raining sideways, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway.”
Classic Scheffler — shrugging off tough conditions, rattling off birdies, and keeping that all-world short game sharp. He capped his round with a birdie on the drivable par-4 16th, stuffing a 4-iron to three feet, then followed it with another red number on 17. And just like that, he’s within striking distance heading into Friday.
Fitzpatrick Chips in, Li Stays Clean, and Olesen Finds the Groove
Three players tied at 4-under 67 set the early pace: Matt Fitzpatrick, Haotong Li, and Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen. Each had their own highlight reel.
Fitzpatrick, looking fully recovered from his spring slump, chipped in on the fly at Calamity Corner, the terrifying par-3 16th, calling it “a bit of luck.” Sometimes links golf is luck, and Fitzpatrick’s all-around sharp play (fresh off a T4 in Scotland) looks like it’s peaking at the right time.
Haotong Li’s bogey-free round might’ve been the most impressive of the bunch. He grinded out a tough par on the 18th, drilling a 10-footer to keep his card clean in the swirling winds. Meanwhile, Olesen — last year’s British Amateur champ — got it to 5 under before a closing bogey knocked him back a peg. Still, he showed poise beyond his years.
Rory Starts Smoother Than 2019, While Lowry Finds His Groove
Rory McIlroy, playing in front of another massive Northern Irish gallery, began with a bogey — but still fared much better than his infamous first-hole quad from 2019. He’s not leading, but he’s very much in the mix and playing with purpose.
Then there’s Shane Lowry, the 2019 champ back at the site of his greatest triumph. He admitted he was battling nerves for weeks leading into this round and wasn’t feeling great on the first tee. You wouldn’t know it from his play. Lowry fought through the worst weather of the day and signed for a strong 70.
“Today, for example, the 11th hole was like the worst hole to get the weather we got in,” he said. “You just need to put your head down and battle through.”
More Wind, More Chaos, and a Stacked Leaderboard
With names like Scheffler, Fitzpatrick, and Lowry lurking near the top — and the weather only getting nastier — The Open is shaping up to be a wild war of attrition. Don’t expect low numbers. Expect smart play, gritty recoveries, and maybe a little magic from players who know how to battle when the wind doesn’t care what your ranking is. There are five tied for the lead at the end of the day.
