Who else had 26-year-old Jackson Suber, he of zero career PGA Tour victories and just two prior major starts, leading the 2026 Open Championship after the first round?
The Tampa native and Ole Miss alum rocketed up the leaderboard late at Royal Birkdale, entering today’s Round 2 at 5 under par with a one-shot lead over Sungjae Im and England’s own Dan Brown. Nine others come in two strokes back, including early favorites such as Robert MacIntyre and Cameron Young as well as Bryson DeChambeau, looking to turn his ship around after missing the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Speaking of the cut line, Rory McIlroy putted his way to the wrong side of it heading into the second round. Coming in at 2 over, he’ll need a more consistent day to survive and play the weekend alongside Scottie Scheffler (three shots behind the lead after Round 1). PGA champion Aaron Rai, Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick also could use some help today.
Watch The Open live on Sling
The Open leaderboard
Leaders at the start of play Friday:
Keep up with all the latest scores on our updating Open leaderboard.
Where to watch The Open: TV schedule, streaming info
Round 2 of the 2026 British Open will broadcast on NBCSN and stream on Peacock starting at 1:30 a.m. before TV coverage kicks in on USA at 4 a.m. The TV broadcast is available to stream via Sling, which carries USA. Featured group and hole streaming is available on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s subscription streaming service, throughout the day.
What is the Open Championship cut line?
After Round 1, the projected cut line at the British Open was 1 over par. The top 70 scores (plus ties) after today’s round will qualify for Rounds 3-4.
British Open favorites and odds
Latest odds according to BetMGM:
Open Championship tee times
All times Eastern.
Open Championship weather update: Royal Birkdale forecast for Friday
AccuWeather predicts a high of 76 degrees with partly sunny skies in the forecast today in Southport, England. Winds are expected to blow out of the west-northwest at 5-10 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. There is about a 10% chance of rain.
Open Championship purse: How much does British Open winner get?
The R&A announced the total prize purse for the 2026 Open was a record $17.5 million with the winner taking home $3.2 million. Last year, Scottie Scheffler won $3.1 million out of a $17 million purse, both matching record totals from 2024.
Where is the Open Championship being played?
For the 11th time, the Open Championship will take place at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, about 17 miles north of Liverpool. Established in 1889 and settling into its current course in 1897, Royal Birkdale last hosted the Open in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won. It also has hosted six AIG Women’s Opens and two Ryder Cups.
Who won The Open last year?
Scottie Scheffler ran away with last year’s Open Championship, winning by four strokes over Harris English. In winning his fourth major title and first British Open, Scheffler shot 17 under par at Royal Portrush. It was his second major win of the year after taking the Wanamaker Trophy at the PGA Championship.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Open leaderboard, live updates from Round 2 at Royal Birkdale
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
