Open Championship Round 1: Scheffler Lurks While Birkdale Bakes

The 154th Open Championship is officially underway, and Royal Birkdale looks nothing like the course that hosted the tournament in 2017. Gone is the lush green rough and the soaking rain that defined Jordan Spieth's victory. Instead, the players were greeted Thursday by a scorched, brown, fast-running links course that is testing every aspect of their ground game. Through the opening wave, England's Dan Brown and South Korea's Im Sung-jae managed the firm conditions best, sharing the clubhouse lead after carding four-under 66s. But the biggest story on the board is the man sitting just two shots back: defending champion Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler's Title Defense Starts Strong Bidding to become the first back-to-back Open champion since Padraig Harrington in 2008, the world number one made it look effortless early on. Scheffler rolled in four birdies in his first six holes, immediately asserting himself at the top of the leaderboard. Despite a couple of late hiccups—including a missed short par putt on the 17th hole after an errant approach—Scheffler signed for a two-under 68. "Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today," Scheffler noted after his round. For bettors holding pre-tournament Scheffler tickets, this is exactly the start you wanted. He didn't shoot himself out of the tournament, and his elite ball-striking is perfectly suited for navigating the baked fairways. The Chasing Pack Bryson DeChambeau, looking to bounce back after missing the cut in the year's first three majors, put together a very strong three-under 67, dropping a shot only at the 18th. He sits in a dangerous group at -3 that includes Thomas Detry and former Open champion Francesco Molinari. Meanwhile, local hero Tommy Fleetwood battled to a one-under 69 in front of massive galleries, keeping his hopes of a fairy-tale hometown victory alive. It was a tougher day for Justin Rose, whose 75 leaves him with a mountain to climb just to make the cut. SBA Takeaway The live betting markets will overreact to the early leaders, but the firm conditions at Birkdale will inevitably cause chaos as the weekend approaches. Scheffler at -2 is in the perfect striking position. If his live odds drift slightly because he isn't leading, pounce on the value. His ability to control trajectory and spin on these baked-out fairways gives him a distinct advantage over the rest of the field. Related Reading: - 2026 Open Championship Betting Preview: Royal Birkdale Awaits - Wyndham Clark Sets Shinnecock Record With Opening 64 at U.S. Open