What we learned: Major names on leaderboard

• By Jay Coffin
• Jul 19, 2012 4:10 PM ET

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Each week, the GolfChannel.com team offers thoughts on "what we learned" from the most recent events and news developments. This week, in a special daily edition from the Open Champioship, we learned that Royal Lytham didn't disappoint in delivering big names on Day 1.

I learned that we’ll be lucky to have the same leaderboard on Sunday afternoon that we already have on Thursday night. The current list of guys deep in the red is chock full of storylines and replete with big-name players. At the top, Adam Scott may not be a major champion – yet – but he’s a world-class player of the highest order. He’s followed by seven major winners in the next dozen spots on the board, all of which should leave any golf fan giddy with excitement at the thought of what may await come Sunday. Sometimes tournaments are boring enough that you’d like to press the fast forward button and skip ahead to the juicy parts. This one is ripe with so many great stories that I’d like to do the same thing. Give me this exact same board going to the back nine on Sunday – then get out of my way, because I’m going to be sufficiently glued to all the action inside the ropes. – Jason Sobel

Sure, it's early, but we have a great chance of seeing a multiple major championship winner by the end of the week. All this talk of 15 different winners in the last 15 majors could be history by Sunday evening here in the north of England. Bubba Watson, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are the likeliest candidates to break the streak after 18 holes here at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Each man shot 67 and is tied for sixth place. Charl Schwartzel shot 69 and is another on the list of 15 who should not be overlooked. Lytham has a history of producing drama and great champions. We're on track for that to happen once more. – Jay Coffin

Royal Lytham & St. Annes does not produce fluke champions. The same course where Seve Ballesteros (twice), David Duval, Bobby Jones and Gary Player won claret jugs has a Day 1 leaderboard featuring seven major champions. – Rex Hoggard