Dan Brown and Sungjae Im Lead Open Championship First Round at Royal Birkdale

com reported. Bryson DeChambeau, Alex Smalley, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, Italy's Francesco Molinari and Belgium's Thomas Detry each carded 3-under-par 67s. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished at 2-under-par 68.

DeChambeau and Scheffler played in the same grouping. DeChambeau used a full set of 3D-printed irons and birdied the par-5 17th to tie for the lead before a bogey at the last hole. Scheffler reached 4 under through six holes before a bogey at the seventh and a run of pars.

Brown's round featured three bogeys offset by birdies, including responses on the back nine. Smalley, 29, reached the top of the leaderboard with birdies on four of the first five holes and additional birdies at Nos. 9 and 10 before a double-bogey 6 at the final hole.

He has recorded four top-10 finishes in 2026, including a runner-up at the PGA Championship, but holds no PGA Tour victories. Scheffler's streak of 78 consecutive made cuts ended the previous week at the Genesis Scottish Open. More than half the field remained on the course at the time of reporting, with afternoon starters including Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Wyndham Clark, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka.

Brown said he returned to his original putter and began holing putts on the final nine to 10 holes.