Jackson Suber has flown up the leaderboard to first at The Open Championship to kick off Round 1 of the most prestigious tournament in golf history.
The 26-year-old from Tampa is sitting at the top of the board after shooting a 5-under 65, one shot better than Sungjae Im and Daniel Brown.
In just four years on the PGA Tour, Suber has built his career slowly but steadily. In 2024, he was thrown into the spotlight for replacing Jon Rahm at Pinehurst No. 2 for the U.S. Open. He made the cut after an impressive first round and finished 73rd overall.
And now, in just his second ever start in a major and first start for the Claret jug, Suber is making a name for himself
But who really is this former college golf star from Ole Miss?
Here’s three things to know about the Tampa native:
He is a Tampa Bay Lightning fan
According to VPC golf, Suber was a fan of basketball growing up before finding his love for golf. Though his No. 1 pick is golf, his favorite sport away from that is ice hockey. He is a devoted fan for his home team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He made history at Ole Miss
Suber secured his name in the golf history books at Ole Miss, finishing ninth on the 2022 PGA Tour University Ranking. He also finished 2022 as a second-team All-American and won five times during his collegiate career.
He debuted at the Valspar Championship
In 2022, Suber’s first PGA Tour appearance was the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor. As a kid, Suber had gone to this exact tournament five times, shaping his ambitions for the future pro golfer. Though he missed the cut, the Valspar Championship was the start of his pro career.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jackson Suber makes his first big statement at Open Championship
Reporting by Samantha Guillotte, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Samantha Guillotte, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
