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Dan Brown and Sungjae Im Lead Open Championship With First-Round 66s
England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Sungjae Im posted 4-under-par 66s to share the early lead at Royal Birkdale. Bryson DeChambeau and four others sit one stroke back after the opening round on July 16, 2026.
Jul 16, 11:05 AM·1m read14 sources
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England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Sungjae Im posted 4-under-par 66s to share the early lead after the first round of The Open Championship on July 16 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Bryson DeChambeau finished with a 3-under 67 after birdies on the final three holes before a bogey at the 18th.
Alex Smalley, Robert MacIntyre, Francesco Molinari and Thomas Detry also carded 67s.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler shot 68 after starting 4 under through six holes. DeChambeau and Scheffler played in the same group. DeChambeau missed the cut in the first three majors of 2026 and arrived with a full set of 3D-printed irons.
Scheffler's streak of 78 consecutive made cuts ended the previous week at the Genesis Scottish Open. Smalley, 29, has no PGA Tour victories but recorded four top-10 finishes in 2026, including a runner-up at the PGA Championship. He took a double-bogey 6 on the final hole after leading earlier in his round.
More than half the field had not finished when the report was filed. Afternoon starters included Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Wyndham Clark, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka.
