122nd Open Championship: Round One

Keba, Ryan share Open Championship lead

LANCASTER, Pa.– Golf is a game of constant learning. Amateurs John Keba of USGA/GAP GC and Josh Ryan of The 1912 Club are embracing every lesson. The two lead the 122nd Open Championship at Lancaster Country Club (par 70, 6,827 yards), each carding 2-under-par 68s on a day when speedy greens and intermittent breezes pushed the scoring average to 77.2.

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The cut line for the low 60 players and ties fell at 6-over par. A total of 69 players from the original 144-player field – 108 amateurs and 36 Philadelphia PGA Section professionals – advanced to Day Two. The second and final round begins at 7 a.m. The leaders – Keba, Ryan and defending champion Drue Nicholas of Merion Golf Club – begin at 11 a.m. The cut broke down as follows: 46 amateurs and 23 professionals.

The top prize for low professional is $8,000. Zac Oakley, an assistant professional at Bidermann Golf Course, and Brian Bergstol, the head teaching professional at Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, are tied at even par for low professional honors.

The Championship course rotation of Meadow Creek and Dogwood was used. A severe storm on July 4 caused significant tree damage, particularly on the Meadow Creek nine, which has been closed since. Over the past week, the Lancaster Country Club grounds staff has worked tirelessly to restore the course to playable condition.

Keba, a Drexel University senior majoring in finance, said he’s witnessed steady growth in his game since landing in University City for the 2024-25 season. He transferred to Drexel from Averett University in Danville, Va. He said a change in mentality, particularly on the course, is the biggest factor.

He won the 2026 Columbia University Spring Invitational at Rolling Green Golf Club in late March. In June, he placed third in the 88th Kenridge Invitational at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. Most recently, he made match play at the Pennsylvania Golf Association R. Jay Sigel Match Play last week. He fell to eventual champion Dave Mecca in a taunt first-round match, 2&1.

“It was a fun day. Obviously, I’ve never been in this position before so I’m excited to go out tomorrow and see what there is to learn,” said Keba, 21, of Emmaus, Pa. “I want to see how I handle myself. I’ve had a couple instances recently where I’ve been close to contending. I’ve been learning a lot about my game in those moments. I’m excited to have another opportunity to learn and to see what I can do.”

Keba did his damage in the first nine with birdies on Nos. 4 (par 3, 344 yards), 6 (par 3, 172 yards) and 8 (par 3, 208 yards). On No. 4, his lob wedge from 100 yards stopped at eight feet; on No. 6, a 9-iron stopped five feet, pin-high right and on No. 8, he drained a 25-footer from just short of the green. His lone blemish was a water ball going for the green in two on No. 7 (par 5, 547 yards). He added another red circle on No. 10 (par 4, 457 yards), with a 7-iron from 181 yards to 10 feet.

Keba’s game turned Keba-ish coming home.
He missed five of the last six greens, but managed to save par every time.

Keba called his game, “Pretty gritty.” He continued, “As you saw on the back nine there, I didn’t hit many greens. I was getting up-and-down a lot, relying on my short game and putting to keep me in it.”

This is Keba’s second Open appearance. He tied for 16^th in 2024 at Applebrook Golf Club.

Ryan, a two-time GAP Junior Player of the Year and three-time Junior Boys’ Championship victor, is in his final days as an amateur. The recent Liberty University graduate is set to turn professional after either the Patterson Cup or U.S. Amateur, if he qualifies.

This was Ryan’s first return to GAP Major competition since the 2023 Patterson Cup at Concord Country Club. He tied for third there.

Where has Josh Ryan been?

“Everywhere. I mean, a lot of Elite Amateur stuff in the summer. I was focusing on WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) and all that, trying to get into big events to go against really good players, which I did,” said Ryan. “That was a good learning experience. It’s nice to kind of be back before I start my pro career.”

Ryan is currently ranked 431^st in WAGR. He helped the Flames win two of the three last Conference USA Men’s Golf Championships (2024, 2026) and pushed the Flames to their last three NCAA Regional appearances (2023-24 and 2026). Last week, he lost to Mecca in the Sigel final.

Ryan started the day hot courtesy of a birdie on No. 1 (par 4, 418 yards) with a 61-degree wedge from 83 yards to 14 feet. On No. 4 (par 4, 344 yards), he hit a 3-wood into the water for bogey but rebounded quickly on No. 6 with a chip-in from about a pace into the right rough. His best score of the day was a par save on No. 7 that saw him find the fescue and rocks twice, once off the tee, the other with his second shot. He made a 45-footer to save par. All pars followed until a birdie on No. 16 (par 4, 360 yards) with a 107-yard 51-degree wedge from the left bunker that stopped 16-feet from the cup. He ended with two pars.

Ryan has played Lancaster once before, in the 2020 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship. He did not make the cut.

“I’ve been struggling off the tee, but my short game’s been really good and that’s saving me a bunch,” said Ryan, 22, of King of Prussia, Pa.

He added about turning professional, “I love the travel and I love the grind and getting better every day. I’m excited to put it to the test. There are a lot of things in pro golf you have to balance. I’m excited to learn and go through it.”

Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open is the third oldest championship of its kind in the country, behind only the U.S. Open and Western Open. It formed at the behest of the best – professionals that is. “Professional golfers in and around Philadelphia have some cause for satisfaction in that their claims to official recognition have at last been acknowledged. The Golf Association of Philadelphia announces a tournament for the pros to be held over the links of the Philadelphia Cricket Club at Wissahickon Heights Oct. 23-24,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 1903. GAP Magazine profiled the Philadelphia Open in its Summer 2024 issue.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.