Thursday morning at the Open Championship.. Live scoreboard, Clubhouse leaders -4 66, Nick Taylor T10

  DP World/PGA Tours ; Open Championship   

• • Leaderboard
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Thursday morning play is well underway beginning at 635am local (135am est) at Royal Birkdale under blue skies and warm sunshine with a slight NW breeze, ideal scoring conditions.

Royal Birkdale is hosting The Open for an 11th time in 2026

At first glance the rough has become burnt down, drives off the fairway are finding playable lies, scoring is low so far this morning.

The clubhouse leaders at 750am est 1250hrs local are Dan Brown and Sungjae Im at -4 66.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is finished at -3 67 at this time as the early wave is wrapping up.

EDIT >>> 11am est  Morning wave results

With the morning wave complete the leaders Dan Brown (England) Sungjae Im (Korea) took advantage of the early benign conditions and their -4 66 has stood up to several challenges.

Canada's Nick Taylor sensational birdie birdie birdie start led to in outward -3 31. The front nine played easier all morning. He was steady, all pars until dropped shots at par3,15th, and par4 16th. However he split the fairway on 18th which was playing the 2nd most difficult. then a 225 yd approach to 19' ended his day in style with a birdie 3.  T10 -2 68..

Corey Conners is playing very steady golf, 11 pars, just 1 bogey +1 thru 12

Notables

Scott Scheffler T10 -2 68, out in 31, back in 37. His fans will rue the putts he missed  including a 3' at the par 5 17th where he was lucky to find a wildly sliced 2nd into deep rough resulting in bogey 6. After a week of practice and his fast start in ideal scoring weather 65 or at least 66 went amiss this morning. 

Bryson DeChambeau made a bogey at the last, but scrambled to an opening 32 35 -3 67.

Scotland's Bob MacIntyre only had 1 bogey in his 33 34 -3 67.

Hometown  hero Tommy Fleetwood went out in 33, had two bogey's (10th, 12th) but battled back to the delight of the sold out crowd with birdies at 15th and 17th for 36 and T19 -1 69..

Rory is out late E thru 3, with the breeze up as the tide comes in, the weather is still sunbaked (some very innovative English headwear !) but the greens are getting faster, so I think those 66's may stand up.

It was a joy to hear the European crew with Sam Torrance on the early broadcast on the Golf Channel, such great stories and descriptions from 4am-10am before the Terry Gannon and the Americans team took over.

For live scoring click on my leaderboard link above.

more to follow..

Bryan Angus

Rory says "Royal Birkdale a fair test of links golf"

 Rory McIlroy believes Royal Birkdale is as fair a links test as they come ahead of this week's 154th Open Championship.

The Northern Irishman is set to make his 17th appearance at golf's oldest tournament, and his second at the world-renowned Southport venue after playing in 2017.

Nine years ago, McIlroy finished tied fourth as Jordan Spieth claimed the Claret Jug - a trophy he won at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

Ahead of Birkdale's return as host venue, every hole has undergone some work in a two-phase project by architects Mackenzie & Ebert. Most notably, a new par three, the 15th, has been added to the scorecard, while the par four fifth has been redesigned.

Birkdale is staging the event for an 11th time, with past winners having included Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller.

“I think one of the common things you hear about Birkdale is it's very fair for a links golf course,” said McIlroy.

“The fairways aren't overly undulating, so when you land the ball in the fairway here, it seems like it stays on the fairway.

“There's not a ton of blind shots, which I've never really had a problem with in other links courses, but that's quite a common thing that people say.

"But I've always liked this course. I first played here in the Amateur Championship and then played an Open back here in 2017.

“You know, if you were to poll every player in the field, I'd say it would be up there in terms of being everyone's favourite Open venues to play for sure"

Since first hosting the golf championship began in 1954, Birkdale has become the competition's most regular venue, outside of St Andrews.

Next year, the 155th playing of The Open will return to the Old Course, where McIlroy finished third in 2022.

While this week provides the 36-year-old a chance to claim a second Major victory of 2026, having become a two-time Masters winner in April, the career Grand Slam hold the Fife venue with the highest regard.

Asked what his favourite Open venue is, he replied: “St Andrews. The Open at St Andrews just feels different, just like the US Open at Pebble Beach feels different.

“I've only played in two Opens at St Andrews, but they've been my favourite as a player and also were my favourite ones growing up and watching. It sort of helped that Tiger [Woods] won a couple of them early on.”

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

What about the WEATHER this 154th Open Championship

  DP World/PGA Tours ; Open Championship  Leaderboard Tee Times

Here is the weather forecast for a hot sunny 154th Open Championship in Southport, England.

With much of the UK experiencing an unusually hot sunny run of summer days, this will not be the rain and windswept weather that often accompany the links golf..

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Expect Royal Birkdale to be running hard and fast, with sparse burnt down rough and firm greens.

Rory McIlroy said "keeping the ball out of the fairway bunkers " will be a key, with tee balls bounding a long way, meaning even short drivers will become much longer.

Open Championship seaside greens are traditionally slower than The Masters or US Opens however as they firm up, they speed up making approach shots and putts more difficult to judge especially with what could be a stiff breeze at times.

Thursday, July 16: Round 1

• ☀️ Sunny and warm

• 🔥 High of 82°F

• ☁️ Minimal chance of rain

• 💨 8-14 mph winds with gusts up to 20 mph

Friday, July 17: Round 2

• ⛅ Cooler temperatures

• 🔥 High of 77°F

• ☁️ Slight chance of showers

• 💨 8-14 mph North winds

Saturday, July 18: Round 3

• ☁️ Cloudy skies

• 🔥 High of 75°F

• ☔ 20% chance of showers

• 💨 8-14 mph North winds

Sunday, July 19: Final Round

• ☁️ Cloudy skies

• 🔥 High of 73°F

• ☁️ Slight chance of showers

• 💨 8-14 mph Northwest winds     Bryan Angus

Introducing this week's alternate event: Corales Puntacana Championship, (6 Canadians)

DP World/PGA Tours : Corales Puntacana Championship Entry List

 All you need to know about this week's Corales Puntacana Championship which makes its DP World Tour debut as part of double header alongside The Open Championship.

The DP World Tour welcomes a new event to the schedule this week as the Corales Puntacana Championship replaces the Barracuda Championship.

The event in the Dominican Republic gives 50 DP World Tour members who are not in the field for The Open the chance to compete in the PGA TOUR's alternate event as part of the Strategic Alliance.

Here, we take a look at what it is all about ahead of a potentially life-changing week, with DP World Tour and PGA TOUR cards up for grabs.

History

Matt Wallace celebrates winning in his 80th career start on the PGA TOUR

The event started life on the Korn Ferry Tour and was won by Americans Dominic Bozzelli and Nate Lashley in 2016 and 2017 before it took its place on the PGA TOUR schedule.

It was the alternate event to the WGC-Match Play in 2018 and 2019 as Brice Garnett and Graeme McDowell lifted the trophy and while it did not feature in the PGA TOUR's 2019-20 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it returned twice in 2020/21.

The first standalone edition in September 2020 was won by Hudson Swafford, while it also once again served as the WGC-Match Play's alternate in March, with Joel Dahmen the victor.

Chad Ramey won in 2022 and Matt Wallace claimed a first PGA TOUR title in 2023, before another switch to be the alternate for the RBC Heritage came in 2024, when it was won by Billy Horschel.

South Africa's Garrick Higgo is the defending champion.

Where is it held?

The event takes place at the Corales Golf Course, part of the Puntacana Resort and Club on the Dominican Republic's east coast.

Opened in 2010 and designed by Tom Fazio, it features six holes that run along the coast and finishes with what is known as the Devil's Elbow, made up of the 16th, 17th and 18th - wth players hitting over the ocean bay off the tee on the last.

The course is a 7,670-yard par 72 and will play host to the golf at this year's Central American and Caribbean Games.

What is at stake?

The prizes on offer this week are potentially life-changing, with the champion gaining a winner's exemption on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR and a place in the field for the 2027 US PGA Championship.

Also at stake are points on both the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup, as well as a US$4,000,000 purse.

There are 3,500 Race to Dubai points and 300 FedEx Cup points up for grabs, while the event is also the third of five on the DP World Tour's Closing Swing.

The player who tops the Swing Rankings after the Nexo Championship in August will gain entry into all events on the Back 9 and a US$200,000 bonus.

The leading player on the swing not already exempt will also earn a place in the field at the BMW PGA Championship.

Who is the defending champion?

Higgo - a three-time winner on the DP World Tour - took advantage of a late slip from Joel Dahmen to take the title in 2025.

After opening with a 62, Dahmen had dominated proceedings in the Caribbean and led stood on the 16th tee on Sunday, with Higgo posting an even-par 72 and setting the target at -14.

But Dahmen bogeyed all three holes of the Devil's Elbow to finish one behind Higgo, who won a second PGA TOUR title.

“I truly feel for Joel, who is a great friend," said Higgo. "I would have preferred to win under different circumstances, but that’s the nature of golf."

DP World Tour players are teeing it up?

There are 50 places in the field available to DP World Tour players and a host of emerging stars and established names have made their way across the Atlantic.

Former Masters champion Danny Willet flies over after a good week at the Genesis Scottish Open and will have fellow Englishman and Rolex Series winner Paul Waring for company.

Winners in 2026 Jordan Gumberg, Freddy Schott and Nacho Elvira also tee it up alongside Nacho's brother Manuel, who had a top ten at the ISCO Championship last week.

Rising star Jacob Skov Olesen is also in the field while 2025 HotelPlanner Tour graduates Maximilian Steinlechner, Filippo Celli, Stefano Mazzoli and Sebastian Garcia will be hoping for a life-changing week.

EDIT >>> Canadians : Taylor Pendrith, Mac Hughes, AJ Ewart, Adam Svensson, Ben Silverman, Adam Hadwin

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

Royal Birkdale fun facts.....

 The Race to Dubai continues with the final men's Major Championship of the season as The 154th Open takes place. Here are some fun facts.

Scheffler defends

Scottie Scheffler produced a dominant performance to win his first Open Championship title 12 months ago at Royal Portrush. 

The American claimed the Claret Jug with a four-stroke victory over countryman Harris English in Northern Ireland to become a four-time Major winner. 

In doing so, he became just the fourth player to win the Masters, US PGA Championship and The Open before turning 30. 

The last 12 winners at The Open have all been first-time winners, with Scheffler bidding to buck that trend and become the first repeat winner since Ernie Els in 2012. 

Scheffler doesn't travel outside of the USA, apart from this annual fortnight in the UK, he only has 1 win this year, however he has been regularly T5 and after a poor performance last week in Scotland he has had extra practice preparing a game plan at Birkdale.

A return to a renovated Birkdale

After nine years away, golf’s oldest tournament makes a return to Royal Birkdale on the northwest coast of England. 

Widely regarded as one of the best courses on the British Isles, this marks the 11th time The Open has been staged at the Southport venue. 

Since Jordan Spieth’s triumph in 2017, a multi-year project of course alterations have been made to its championship layout. 

Among those are the introduction of a brand-new par-three 15th, with the former par five-15th redesigned to become the new 14th. The fifth was previously a blind tee shot but the hole has been remodelled, reducing its length to 321 yards and enhancing the risk-reward element. The seventh has also been redesigned to become a shorter part three, with a big move to the tee box.

To read more about the course alterations, click here.

Where greats triumph

If history is anything to go by, expect one of golf’s established stars to emerge as the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year come Sunday. 

Across the ten previous editions of The Open at Royal Birkdale, the past champions are Australia’s Peter Thomson, Americans Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson. 

Add to the mix three-time Major winners Pádraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth across the past two editions at the venue, and this appears to be a course that identifies the best players.

Spotlight shines on hometown hero Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood has become accustomed to life as one of the world’s best golfers and the limelight that comes with it, with that experience likely to come in handy as he returns to where it all started. 

The Englishman grew up just a few miles from the world-renowned links and would sneak on as a child for some practice. 

Back in 2017, he was the darling of the Southport crowds and there is likely to be an expectant atmosphere as the 35-year-old top ten golfer in the world bids for a breakthrough Major crown.

 After an incredibly consistent campaign worldwide so far this season, building on his long-awaited debut title on the PGA TOUR last year, victory this week would be a career highlight he’d struggle to top. C'mon Tommy lad...

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

TEE TIMES 154th Open Championship...Hometown Fleetwood, in form Fitzy..Canadians Conners/Taylor

 DP World/PGA Tours ; Open Championship 

• Tee Times

Home hero Tommy Fleetwood will start his campaign for a dream Open win at Royal Birkdale in the company of Major Champions Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm on Thursday.

They get started at 10.09am, in the group after defending champion Scott Scheffler hits away  in the company of England's Tyrrell Hatton and two-time U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau 9.58am

Fleetwood hails from Southport and used to sneak onto the historic links for practice rounds as a child, although the World Number Nine will be walking through the front door this week.

He is sure to take huge galleries with him and they will also be able to see three-time Major winner Spieth - champion the last time The Open was held here in 2017 - and Fleetwood's Ryder Cup team-mate Rahm.

Pádraig Harrington is a former winner at Birkdale and he will look to become the oldest Major winner in history alongside England's Marco Penge and recent first-time DP World Tour winner Michael Hollick at 1.20pm.

The three Major Champions from 2026 so far go out in consecutive groups from 2.53pm, with US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai playing with 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry and five-time Major Champion Brooks Koepka

At 3.04pm  U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark gets started with fellow American Cameron Young and Swede Ludvig Åberg.

Then two-time reigning Masters champion and 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year Rory McIlroy looks for a seventh Major alongside 2024 winner Xander Schauffele and in-form Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick at 3.15pm.

"Fitzy" arrives at Royal Birkdale, now with owgr #3, as one of the most in-form players in the world after a third top-five finish in his last four starts worldwide at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.

A three-time winner on the PGA TOUR this season, including once alongside his brother Alex, the 31-year-old is in no doubt that there could yet be more success this week on home soil.

"I'm definitely playing better, hopefully I've not peaked yet obviously, but I just think I'm doing a lot of good stuff this year. Short game's been really, really good, and so has my irons.

I've had good seasons but never really taken advantage of that, I don't feel like; whereas now I feel like I've got that.

"I think sort of the level of experience and maturity I have, I guess, with playing and being in these situations is obviously much better now, even than before 2022, so I think that's obviously a big help as well.

Fitzpatrick is set for his 11th Open appearance, and second at Royal Birkdale having finished tied 44th in 2017. "I've played here a little bit, so I feel at least somewhat comfortable knowing the holes and just getting that comfortability with different shots you're faced with. When we played a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised at how green it was but how firm it was."

Royal Birkdale member Matt Baldwin came through Final Qualifying to earn his spot at a home Major and he will get proceedings under way at 6.35am.

EDIT >>> Canadians: 10.20am Nick Taylor, Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim,  12.58am Corey Conners, Keegan Bradley, Casey Jarvis

For a full list of tee times, click here.

euopeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

Pendrith loses playoff at ISCO Championship....Final Results

    PGA/DP World Tours : ISCO Championship   Leaderboard Results

Steven Fisk beat Taylor Pendrith in a play-off to win the ISCO Championship.

The American carded a closing 67 at Hurstbourne Country Club in Kentucky to finish at 16 under alongside Canadian Pendrith, before prevailing with two-putt par on the third extra hole.

Fisk is now a two-time PGA TOUR winner, having won the Sanderson Farms Championship last year, while this is his first on the DP World Tour in just his fourth start.

Aaron Wise and Canadian Ben Silverman finished T3 one shot out of the play-off, while American former Major winner Lucas Glover was unable to capitalise on holding the 54-hole lead as a final-round 71 saw him finish in a tie for fifth at 14 under.

On the first play-off hole, Pendrith - who closed with a 65 in regulation play - missed a nine-foot birdie putt, as Fisk got up-and-down from a greenside bunker to force a second play-off hole which both players parred again.

On the final trip down the par four 18th, Pendrith found a fairway bunker off the tee and then left his approach shot short on his way to a double bogey as Fisk sealed victory with a routine par.

"I love to be in the position [to win]," said Fisk, who climbs to a career-high 79th in the Official World Golf Ranking. I crave it like nothing else. It's what we play for. I couldn't give a damn about finishing 60th in a golf tournament. This is what I want to do.

EDIT >>>Canadians

Taylor Pendrith 2nd  70 63 66 65 -16  ($ 615,757)

Ben Silverman T3  67 68 64 66 -15 ($ 333,333)

Mac Hughes T10 66 68 66 68 -12

AJ Ewart T34  66 67 72 67 -8

Adam Svensson 66th  665 72 70 72 -1

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)