Scheffler's 6-under figure puts him three strokes behind first-round leader Ben Kohles, who continued a summer to remember with a 9-under 62. He is two strokes clear of Jackson Koivun, Gary Woodland and Emiliano Grillo. Lucas Glover, Michael Brennan, Jesper Svensson and Kevin Roy are among those tied with Scheffler at 6 under.

Get caught up on all the first-round action from Golfweek, including the full leaderboard plus highlights, breaking news and more from Thursday.

It's the first round of the 2026 British Open golf tournament. Follow for live updates and highlights, tee times and how to watch The Open 2026.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the 3M Open 2026 10,000 times and came up with a shocking leaderboard

The final round of the 2026 Open Championship promises to provide plenty of drama. Sam Burns takes a two-shot lead into Sunday at Royal Birkdale in pursuit of his first career major championship, and most of the chase pack will also be feeling the nerves of trying to win in a major for the first time.

The 2026 Open Championship is underway from Royal Birkdale. The first round is complete with an unlikely leader at the top. Here are highlights:

Here's a look at the leaderboard for the 2026 Open Championship from Royal Birkdale.