The Open 2026, Round 1: What Royal Birkdale Is Playing Like Right Now

Round 1 of the 154th Open Championship began at 6:35am this morning at Royal Birkdale. The conditions are not what anyone who has played the Sefton Coast in a normal July expected. The course is playing firm and fast in a way that has not been seen at a links Open since Carnoustie 2018.

The Conditions

The temperature has been touching 26 degrees Celsius this week in Southport. That is exceptional for a town on the Irish Sea coast in mid-July. The rough has burned out. What should be thick, punishing willow scrub has been reduced by the dry summer heat to something manageable. The fairways are running. Drives are travelling beyond landing zones. The course is playing 30 to 50 yards longer than the yardage suggests because the ball is not stopping.

These conditions change the course fundamentally. When Birkdale is soft, the rough is the main defence. When it is firm, the greens become the defence. Approaches from firm fairways to firm greens require precise distance control and a specific angle of attack. Players who flight the ball lower and control spin have a significant advantage over those who rely on stopping the ball from height.

Who Benefits From These Conditions

Scottie Scheffler. Full stop. The world number one and defending champion is the most precise ball-striker in the game. Firm, fast conditions that require exact distance control and the ability to work the ball both ways are his conditions. He arrived at Royal Birkdale as the favourite and nothing about the course setup this week changes that.

Rory McIlroy has the ball flight and shot variety to handle firm Birkdale. His driving in these conditions, where the ball runs past fairway bunkers that would catch it on a soft course, is a potential advantage. He arrives as Masters champion and is overdue a links major.

Jordan Spieth won at Royal Birkdale in 2017 when the conditions were softer. His short game and putting are the variables. If his putting is on, his course knowledge and creativity around the greens make him a genuine contender on any surface.

What the Weekend Rounds Will Look Like

Saturday is the day the leaderboard takes its final shape. The cut will be the top 70 and ties after 36 holes on Friday. Those who make it will play on a course that by Saturday morning will be firmer and faster than Thursday. The north wind forecast at 10 to 15 mph adds another layer of difficulty to approaches.

Sunday the final round at Birkdale plays differently to any other major. The 18th hole is a long par 4 with a green visible from well down the fairway. The approach in the final round with the championship on the line is one of the defining moments in any Open at this venue.

Live Leaderboard

Round 1 is in progress. Live scores at theopen.com update in real time. Sky Sports Golf has full coverage of all four rounds.

Playing the Sefton Coast This Week

Hillside Golf Club, directly adjacent to Royal Birkdale, is open to visitors this week. The conditions mirror what the professionals are playing on: firm fairways, fast greens, the same north wind. Playing Hillside while the Open is happening next door is a specific experience. The course is in peak condition and the atmosphere around the Birkdale corridor is unlike any other week of the year.