The 2026 Open Championship: Friday Fun at Royal Birkdale

What Is Happening?

The 2026 Open Championship (a big, famous golf tournament) is keeping on rolling on Friday. It is being played at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in a town called Southport, in England.

Who Is Winning Right Now?

Here is the simple scoreboard story:

• Jackson Suber is in the lead! He is at 5 under (that means he finished the holes with 5 fewer shots than expected—good job!).
• He is one shot ahead of:
  • Daniel Brown
  • Sungjae Im
• Other top players are close behind and could catch up:
  • Bryson DeChambeau is at 3 under
  • Scottie Scheffler is at 2 under

Important Point: Being "under" means a golfer used fewer hits than the course plan said. The lower the number, the better they played!

Players to Watch

• Rory McIlroy is at 2 over (that means 2 more shots than planned). He had a rough Thursday and is trying to bounce back on Friday.

What Happens Next?

We don’t know yet who will be at the very top when the weekend starts! The article shares the best moments from Friday at The Open as they happen.

How to See the Full Scores

You can look at every player’s score anytime:

1. Open the Full leaderboard link from ESPN.
2. See the whole list of golfers and their scores.

Full leaderboard

Summary

On Friday at the 2026 Open Championship in England, Jackson Suber leads at 5 under, just ahead of Daniel Brown and Sungjae Im. Big names like Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler are close, while Rory McIlroy is trying to recover from a slow start. Fans are watching to see who tops the board heading into the weekend.

FAQ

Q: What does "5 under" mean in golf?
A: It means the golfer finished the holes using 5 fewer shots than the course expected. It’s a good thing!

Q: Where is the 2026 Open Championship being played?
A: At Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

Q: Who is currently leading the tournament?
A: Jackson Suber is leading at 5 under par.

Q: Is Rory McIlroy doing well so far?
A: Not yet—he is at 2 over, meaning he used 2 extra shots, and he is trying to improve on Friday.