PGA

Eleven years after winning The Open Championship, Louis Oosthuizen is in the driver's seat to do it again. 

The 38-year-old took a first-round lead with a six-under-par 64 at Royal St. George's Golf Club on Thursday. 

Oosthuizen was far from the only player who got off to a strong start. Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman are tied for second place at five under. A group of five players are tied in fourth place. 

Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood are among 10 players at three under.

2021 Open Championship Leaderboard - First Round

1. Louis Oosthuizen (-6)

T2. Brian Harman (-5)

T2. Jordan Spieth (-5)

T4. Mackenzie Hughes (-4)

T4. Dylan Frittelli (-4)

T4. Stewart Cink (-4)

T4. Benjamin Hebert (-4)

T4. Webb Simpson (-4)

T9. Tommy Fleetwood (-3)

T9. Collin Morikawa (-3)

T9. Andy Sullivan (-3)

T9. Justin Harding (-3)

T9. Danny Willett (-3)

T9. Jack Senior (-3)

T9. Justin Rose (-3)

T9. Scottie Scheffler (-3)

T9. Byeong Hun An (-3)

T9. Marcel Siem (-3)

Full leaderboard via TheOpen.com

Oosthuizen has yet to win a tournament this year, but he's been on the verge of a breakthrough for some time. The South African tied for second at the PGA Championship in May and was the sole runner-up at the U.S. Open last month. 

To post the best round of the day, Oosthuizen did all of his damage in an eight-hole span from Nos. 8-16. He made six birdies during that stretch and didn't have a bogey in the entire round. 

Spieth wasn't as sharp to start the day. He was at one over thanks to a bogey on the par-three third hole. 

From that point on, though, the Dallas native put together one of his most impressive rounds of the year. He had a run of four consecutive birdies from holes five through eight that dropped his score to three under when he made the turn. 

Spieth's birdie on No. 16 briefly gave him sole possession of the lead at five under until Oosthuizen passed him later. 

Thursday's 65 marked Spieth's best score in a round since the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. He led that event after 54 holes, but a 73 in the final round opened the door for Jason Kokrak to win the tournament. 

Spieth hasn't finished in the top 10 at The Open Championship since 2018. His last victory in a Grand Slam event was the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England. 

Further down the leaderboard, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia are among the notable players in contention. They are among a 13-way tie for 19th place at two-under par. 

Johnson did stumble late on the front nine with bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9. He rebounded after making the turn thanks to birdies on 11 and 14 that kept him well within shouting distance of Oosthuizen. 

Another player who struggled on the front nine was Rory McIlroy. The 2014 Open Championship winner looked to be in serious trouble after putting up three consecutive bogeys and made the turn at one over. 

McIlroy moved to two over with a bogey on No. 11 before getting birdies on 14 and 18 to salvage an even-par 70. 

Phil Mickelson's quest to win his second major tournament of the year seems unlikely to happen. He finished the day tied with Deyen Lawson for last place at 10-over par overall. 

Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, the only player to win The Open Championship since 2017 who was outside of the top three in the standings after the first round was Francesco Molinari in 2018. 

American golfers have had a hard time securing the Claret Jug in the last decade. 

Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson and Jordan Spieth are the only Americans to win the British Open since 2010. Five Europeans and two South Africans have won during that span. 

A handful of United States players landed in high finishing positions, but the overall success has been minimal at what is now the season's final men's golf major. 

The good news for the American contingent at Royal St. George's this week is there are a few strong contenders, including Spieth, who could bring the Claret Jug back across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time since 2017. 

Spieth will be a popular daily fantasy golf selection, as will Xander Schauffele, who seems to be competitive at every major he competes at. 

Even if you prefer a few American golfers for your lineup, you should still fill the back part of it out with experienced European players to strike a nice balance over four days. 

Daily Fantasy Picks

Utilize Jordan Spieth As The Top American Player

Spieth reeled off three top-10 finishes at The Open Championship from 2015-18, and he won the title in 2017. 

The 27-year-old finished inside the top 30 in each of the season's first three majors, and he is in some of the best form on the PGA Tour. 

Spieth landed inside the top 30 in each of his last seven appearances on the PGA Tour, so you can at least rely on his consistency going into Royal St. George's. 

Spieth carries the fifth-highest salary of any golfer in FanDuel's main tournament for The Open, but he could be well worth the price if he remains consistent and banks off his experience on links courses. 

If you target Spieth as one of your high-salary players, Rickie Fowler could be worth a look to complement him at $9,400.

Fowler has not had great results lately, but he does have three top-10 finishes at The Open, and he landed in a tie for fifth the last time Royal St. George's hosted the tournament back in 2011. 

Spieth and Fowler could be used in a stack of American players with Schauffele, who has nine top-10 major placings since 2017, to go along with whomever you choose from the European contingent for your six-man lineup.

One other American to consider is Kevin Kisner, who has a $8,900 salary. He has a second-place finish at The Open from 2018 and could fly under the radar with a low roster percentage. 

Include Some Experienced European Players

Since Tiger Woods last captured The Open in 2006, seven European players captured eight wins at the tournament. 

Francesco Molinari and Shane Lowry were the latest Europeans to secure the Claret Jug with multi-stroke victories in 2018 and 2019, respectively. 

The last two champions of the event are worth looks for DFS lineups, but so are players who have plenty of links experience and some solid results at The Open to back up consideration. 

Tommy Fleetwood finished a distant second to Lowry in 2019, and he owns three straight top-30 marks at The Open. 

Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood and Danny Willett were all in the top 10 at some point in 2019, and they could all carry extra motivation to win a major on home soil in England. 

Outside of the English players, Sergio Garcia should be a solid play from the European group. He has 10 career top-10 finishes at The Open and comes in at a decent salary of $9,500. 

If you strike the right balance of experienced links players with some in-form Americans, you should find yourself in a good position to win some cash when the weekend rolls around.

Eligibility restrictions apply. See fanduel.com for details.

All bets are off in the public war of words between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Koepka spoke to reporters Tuesday about the ongoing feud, saying DeChambeau violated an agreement the pair had when he made comments about Koepka appearing in the ESPN Body Issue.

"He didn't like that I had mentioned his name in slow play, so we had a conversation in the locker room," Koepka said of their conversation at the 2019 Northern Trust. "And then I guess we said something else in the press conference but didn't mention his name in it, and he walked up to [Koepka's caddie] Ricky [Elliott], said something. It was, 'You tell your man if he's got something to say, say it to myself.' I thought that was ironic because he went straight to Ricky. Ricky told me when I came out, hit a few putts, and then just walked right over to him, we had a conversation.

"We both agreed we'd leave each other out of it and wouldn't mention each other, just kind of let it die off, wouldn't mention each other's names, just go about it. So then he decided I guess he was going on that little, whatever, playing video games online [on Twitch in which he made light of Koepka appearing in ESPN's The Body Issue] or whatever and brought my name up and said a few things, so now it's fair game."

Koepka and DeChambeau have become golf's hottest rivalry in 2021. While their feud has been simmering for years, it reached a fever pitch when a leaked video of Koepka rolling his eyes at DeChambeau went viral in May. Almost overnight, the rivalry went from a niche in the golf world to a discussed national story.

Koepka has especially been public in his dislike of DeChambeau, offering several biting comments and even subtweeting DeChambeau after the sudden departure of his longtime caddie, Tim Tucker, earlier this month.

DeChambeau has called the rivalry "great for golf," and it's hard to disagree. With Tiger Woods indefinitely off the course, the sport needs a focus, and the Koepka-DeChambeau rivalry has stepped into the void.

Bryson DeChambeau says there are no hard feelings with former caddie Tim Tucker after the two parted ways at this month's Rocket Mortgage Classic.

"Tim and I are good,'' DeChambeau Monday, per Bob Harig of ESPN. "It had been building toward this. And he had told me a while ago he was considering this because of his knees. It's just painful for him to get around and then it sort of all came together that Wednesday in Detroit. He's a good friend of mine, but that was a tough week and glad to move on from it."

Tucker's departure was sudden, coming just a day before DeChambeau was set to tee off at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Ben Schomin caddied DeChambeau to a missed cut at the event, and Brian Zeigler took over ahead of The Open.

Tucker and DeChambeau's split has not been categorized as permanent, but it does not sound like he's expected to return. Tucker previously quit in 2017 before returning the next year. 

DeChambeau has not posted a top-10 finish in more than two months. He's not considered a favorite at The Open, having been cut in his last two appearances and posting a tie for 33rd as his best result.

DeChambeau says he's comfortable with Zeigler as his caddie due to their longstanding relationship.

Tucker has also denied any personal falling out as the cause of his departure. 

Bubba Watson announced Sunday that he will not play in the Open Championship next week after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Watson explained the decision further in a statement on Twitter:

The 42-year-old Watson is the latest high-profile player to pull out of the British Open. Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, withdrew Saturday because of a recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

Matthew Wolff, Danny Lee and K.H. Lee have also pulled out of the tournament.

ESPN's Bob Harig obtained a copy of the "Player Information Update" sent to golfers competing in the Open Championship by R&A CEO Martin Slumbers two weeks ago.

Harig noted that players will face far stricter COVID-19 protocols at the Open Championship than they have at recent tournaments in the United States.

All players will be tested for COVID-19 upon arriving for the tournament regardless of their vaccination status, and they aren't allowed to go to restaurants, pubs or grocery stores once there.

Additionally, any player deemed to have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 can be disqualified from the tournament regardless of whether they test positive themselves.

Watson is a two-time Masters champion, and he has also posted top-five finishes at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

The British Open has been a challenge for him over the years, though, with a career-best finish of tied for 23rd in 2012. Of the 11 times Watson has played in the Open Championship, he has missed the cut on five occasions.

Watson has been playing well of late, though, finishing 19th at the Travelers Championship last month and sixth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.

The 2021 Open Championship will emanate from Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England, next week.

It will mark the first time the Open Championship has been held since 2019, as last year's tourney was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

After parting ways with longtime caddie Tim Tucker earlier this month, Bryson DeChambeau has found a new bag man leading into the 2021 Open Championship. 

DeChambeau announced on Instagram he has hired Brian Zeigler to work alongside him next week at Royal St. George's. 

"Jumping into the deep end! Excited to have Brian Zeigler joining the team as my new caddie," DeChambeau wrote. "Can't wait to have him be a part of the journey. Thank you to my great friend Tim Tucker for everything he has done for me. I am grateful for our friendship.'' 

DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, told Golf Channel's Ryan Lavner of July 1 that the outspoken golfer and Tucker mutually agreed to part ways prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic. 

In an interview with Luke Kerr-Dineen of Golf.com, DeChambeau said the split with Tucker came because "we were really tired" and "the tour schedule was grinding on us, grinding on me."

Zeigler previously worked as an instructor at Dallas National Golf Club.

DeChambeau will be looking to win The Open Championship for the first time in his career. The tournament starts on Thursday in Sandwich, England. He's never finished inside the top 50 in three previous appearances in the British Open. 

Golfer Angel Cabrera was sentenced to two years in Argentina for assaulting his former partner.

Cabrera was convicted of assaulting, threatening and harassing Cecilia Torres Mana, his partner from 2016 to 2018. He was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in January for assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities after attempting to flee the charges.

"His situation is much more complex than this, he has other charges for which there are arrest warrants, too. There are other victims," prosecutor Laura Battistelli told Todo Noticias.

Cabrera’s ex-wife, Silva Rivadero and former partner Micaela Escudero have also accused Cabrera of assault.

The 51-year-old was a two-time major champion during his PGA career, winning the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters Tournament.

PGA Tour golfer Hideki Matsuyama announced he withdrew from Rocket Mortgage Classic before Friday's second round after testing positive for COVID-19.

"It's disappointing to receive this news and have to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic," Matsuyama said in a statement. "I will take all the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of all others. I appreciate and thank everyone for their concern in advance. I look forward to a full recovery and returning to competition as soon as possible."

The 29-year-old Japan native shot a two-under 70 in the opening round of the event at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan. He played alongside Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler on Thursday. Mickelson and Fowler teed off Round 2 as a twosome.

Matsuyama has recorded just one top-10 finish in 15 starts this year, but he made it count by becoming the first Japanese man to win a golf major championship in April's Masters.

His announcement of a COVID-19 diagnosis turns the focus for his availability for the Open Championship, which begins July 15 at Royal St. George's Golf Club in England, and the Tokyo Olympics golf tournament, which tees off in his home country July 29.

"I'm really looking forward to the Olympic Games in Tokyo," Matsuyama told reporters after winning the Masters. "If I am on the team, and maybe it looks like I will be, I'll do my best to represent my country, and hopefully I'll play well."

He was formally announced as part of the 60-player field in June.

As for the British Open, Adam Schupak of Golfweek noted the "stiff requirements" related to COVID-19 for the season's final major puts Matsuyama's status "in doubt."

Matsuyama is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, though his triumph in the Masters marked his first victory since the 2017 Bridgestone Invitational.