Jackson Suber has spent three days at Royal Birkdale at or near the top of the leaderboard and will get a chance Sunday to hoist the Claret Jug.
The former Ole Miss standout posted an even‑par 70 in Saturday’s third round, which was his highest round score of the tournament. But it keeps him in striking distance at 6‑under for the championship.
He grabbed a share of the lead early in his Saturday round, which felt like one of those moments where the weekend might be tilting in his direction.
It didn’t last long, but it showed he’s not overwhelmed by the moment.
Suber reached 8‑under with a birdie on the fifth, then spent the rest of the round trying to hold onto that momentum.
Royal Birkdale didn’t cooperate.
Four bogeys and two birdies over the final 13 holes pushed him back to even for the day. A missed par putt on 17 stung, and the birdie look on 18 slid by, the kind that makes you exhale and wonder what might have been.
He started Saturday tied for second and ended it outside the top five, but the bigger picture hasn’t changed. He’s still close enough to have a legitimate chance at winning the whole thing. He’s still near the top of the board. And he’s still playing the kind of golf that gives him a legitimate chance to make noise over the final 18 holes.
Suber opened the week with a 65, followed it with a 69, and now sits at 6‑under heading into Sunday. He’s tied for sixth place with Ludvig Abery and Bryson DeChambeau, who made his own headlines late Friday night.
For a player making his first run at the Claret Jug, that’s more than a good story. It’s an opportunity.
And he’s earned every bit of it.
Suber was a two-time All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC selection during his four seasons at Ole Miss, becoming the first golfer in program history to reach No. 1 in the Golfstat national rankings. He won five individual tournaments, including the 2022 NCAA Norman Regional, and finished his career with a 71.16 scoring average across 116 rounds.
