The Open Championship kicked off on Thursday at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, and the excitement was brewing. However, after the first round, there was a surprising name atop the leaderboard: Georgia Tech player Christo Lamprecht. He is set to return to Georgia Tech for his final collegiate season, but he is making his name known nationally and shot a 5-under 66 in the opening round, which puts him in company with Bobby Jones, who was the last amateur to lead The Open after the first round, and he did so in 1930.
After the stunning opening round, Christo Lamprecht was nothing but confident when asked if he was surprised he was on top of the leaderboard (h/t Mark Schlabach of ESPN).
“I mean, as an amateur, yes, it is. But in my own head, no, it's not. I think I'm very hard on myself, and I think I earned my spot to be here. I think the way I played today I earned to be on the top of the leaderboard, as of now. It's not a cocky thing to say. I just personally think I believe in myself, and I guess stepping on to the first tee box if you're a professional or a competitor, you should be believing that you should be the best standing there.”
Article Continues BelowAnother Georgia Tech player, Stewart Cink, is 3-under, and Tommy Fleetwood had an impressive opening round and also finished 5-under, although the story of the day was Lamprecht. This shot was definitely one to watch on replay.
What a shot. What a day for Christo Lamprecht. pic.twitter.com/RdWODgk8Dl
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2023
For now, Lamprecht and Fleetwood are tied on top of the leaderboard at The Open Championship, and let's see how the rest of the tournament plays out.