Fleetwood, Lamprecht, Grillo share first-round lead at Open Championship

July 20 (UPI) -- Tommy Fleetwood, Emiliano Grillo and amateur Christo Lamprecht fired 5-under-par 66s for a three-way tie for the lead through the first 18 holes of the 2023 Open Championship on Thursday in Hoylake, England.

The tournament will continue through Sunday at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. The winner will receive a record $3 million prize, in addition to the Claret Jug.

"To be in the clubhouse after playing so well is a lovely feeling," Fleetwood told reporters. "I can rest up and start getting read for tomorrow. As far as first days go, this was a pretty good one."

Lamprecht, who made his PGA Tour debut Thursday, was part of the eighth group to tee off in the first round.

The 22-year-old Georgia Tech senior birdied three of his first six holes for a 3-under 32 on the front nine. He then made four more birdies on the back nine to snag the clubhouse lead.

Fleetwood, who is eyeing his first major title, totaled six birdies and just one bogey for his 66 and share of the lead. The No. 21 player in the Official World Golf Ranking started the round with four-consecutive pars.

He then birdie Nos. 5 and 7, with a bogey in between on 6, to card a 1-under 34 at the turn. He played a bogey-free back nine, which featured a string of four birdies over six holes.

Grillo, ranked No. 41, started his round with bogeys on two of his first three holes. He birdied Nos. 5 and 9 for an even-par 35 on the front nine. He then birdied two of his first three holes on the back nine to just to 2-under.

Grillo finished the round with birdies on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 to join Fleetwood and Lamprecht at 5-under.

No. 139 Antoine Rozner, No. 95 Adrian Otaegui and No. 26 Brian Harman are tied for fourth at 4-under. Stewart Cink, No. 67 Alex Noren, No. 8 Max Homa, No. 276 Shubhankar Sharma and 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark (No. 10) are tied for seventh at 3-under.

No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the tournament favorite, was even par through his first 18 holes and is tied for 32nd. No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was 1-under and tied for 18th with No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 5 Viktor Hovland, No. 6 Xander Schauffele, No. 12 Brooks Koepka and No. 51 Patrick Reed, among others.

No. 20 Justin Thomas struggled throughout the first round. He carded an 11-over 82 and is tied for 154th. Thomas, who missed the third-round cut in two of three majors so far this season, totaled seven bogeys, including a quadruple bogey on No. 18.

The players with the top 70 scores and ties through Friday's second round are expected to make the third-round cut at the Open.

Second-round tee times will start at 1:35 a.m. EDT Friday in Hoylake. Grillo will tee off alongside Sahith Theegala and Dustin Johnson at 3:25 a.m. Lamprecht, Louis Oosthuizen and Joost Luiten at 7:53 a.m.

Fleetwood, Scheffler and No. 39 Adam Scott will tee off at 9:48 a.m. Second-round coverage will start at 4 a.m. Friday on USA Network.

Open Championship schedule

All times EDT

Friday

Second round coverage from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. on USA Network

Saturday

Third round coverage from 5 to 7 a.m. on USA Network and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on NBC

Sunday

Final round coverage from 4 to 7 a.m. on USA Network and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on NBC