The 153rd Open Championship began in dramatic fashion as Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and China’s Haotong Li emerged as joint leaders after the opening round, both carding impressive 67s to finish at 4-under par.
The return of golf’s oldest major to Royal Portrush brought challenging conditions, with unpredictable rain and gusty winds testing the world’s best. Despite the weather, Olesen and Li stayed composed, delivering steady rounds highlighted by precise iron play and crucial par saves, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Haotong Li’s bogey-free round showcased nerves of steel, particularly on the treacherous 18th, where he rolled in a clutch par putt to maintain his share of the lead. Olesen, meanwhile, saw a near-perfect day marred only by a late bogey on the same hole after an overhit approach left him scrambling.
Veteran Englishman Lee Westwood sits just one shot back at 3-under, alongside Matthew Jordan, who produced a thrilling back-nine surge with three consecutive birdies before giving one back on the par-3 13th.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and former Masters champion Jon Rahm both posted solid 2-under rounds, positioning themselves just two shots off the lead. Rahm impressed with consistent play, avoiding any dropped shots on the front nine despite rain-slowed greens, while Scheffler showcased his trademark composure with key par saves.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open winner, also sits at 2-under after a steady round, while 2023 runner-up Rahm looks determined to go one better this year.
Not everyone had it easy. Former world No. 1 Jason Day endured a tough start, carding a 2-over 73 after three early bogeys. Speaking after his round, Day humorously lamented the “craziest weather pattern” he has ever faced in his career.
Earlier in the day, Padraig Harrington struck the ceremonial opening tee shot, later admitting he felt emotional during the moment, joking that he usually only wells up “when watching movies on airplanes.”
Leaderboard after Round 1
T1 (-4): Jacob Skov Olesen (67), Haotong Li (67)
T3 (-3): Lee Westwood, Matthew Jordan
T5 (-2): Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Nicolai Højgaard, Takumi Kanaya, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nicolás Echavarria
With three rounds to play, The Open remains wide open. Links golf is notoriously unpredictable, and with the weather expected to worsen over the weekend, experience and mental resilience could be the keys to lifting the Claret Jug.
