Former Ole Miss golfer Jackson Suber made his Open Championship debut Thursday at Royal Birkdale and it couldn’t have gone much better.
Suber, ranked No. 115 in the world rankings, ended his opening round with a 5-under, 65. It was good enough to sit in first place at the end of his round and with roughly half of the field already in the clubhouse.
Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty 😤
A stellar opening round from @JacksonSuber ! 🔥 His 5-under 65 has him alone atop the leaderboard at the 154th Open Championship. A sensational start, highlighted by six birdies and an eagle on 17 in Round 1. 👏#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/6QFSXlNeSc
— Ole Miss Men’s Golf (@OleMissMGolf) July 16, 2026
The first nine holes were an up and down affair. He played even par before catching fire after the turn. He rolled in back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11, dropped a shot at 13 and answered with birdies at 14 and 16.
The highlight came at the par-5 17th. Suber hit his second shot from 231 yards to about six feet and knocked in the eagle putt to move into the solo lead at 5-under. He closed with a par at 18 to finish off a first-round 65.
EAGLE on 17 vaults Jackson Suber into the solo lead (-5) 🦅
Remarkable second shot with the ball above his feet 🤌 pic.twitter.com/ztgr52vo4Y
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 16, 2026
Suber’s card included four birdies, one bogey and that eagle, putting him near the top of the leaderboard heading into Friday’s second round. It was a strong start for a player who had to earn his way into the championship and is now making the most of the opportunity.
Suber earned his spot in the field the hard way. He qualified through the Open Qualifying Series at the RBC Canadian Open in June, where three spots were available to players not already exempt.
He entered the final round with the lead and finished tied for fourth at 13-under, which was enough to claim one of those places alongside Bud Cauley and Jesper Svensson.
If Jackson Suber leads at the end of the day, it will be the 4th time in 5 years a player making his Open debut led or co-led after round 1
Cameron Young, 2022
Christo Lamprecht, 2023
Dan Brown, 2024— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) July 16, 2026
This week marks his first appearance in The Open.
He is certainly trying to make the most 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.
Suber will tee off for his second round at The Open at Royal Birkdale at 1:30 a.m. Friday.
