Tom McKibbin found himself perched atop the leaderboard at the Husqvarna British Masters after the first round was repeatedly interrupted by adverse weather at The Belfry. The opening day, already battered by a storm system, saw play halted multiple times, leaving the field in a state of limbo. The day’s first lightning warning sounded a mere two minutes after the initial tee shots were struck at 7:30 a.m., prompting officials to suspend action for three hours while safety protocols were enacted. When play resumed at 10:32 a.m., the conditions had improved only marginally before a second stoppage occurred just after midday.
This time, the cause was not lightning but waterlogged bunkers that made several holes unplayable, forcing a further four‑hour pause. A third and final restart came at 4:15 p.m., allowing the early groups to push deep into their back‑nine stretches. However, the sky once again darkened with thunder and lightning, and the tournament was forced to call a halt for the day at 7:11 p.m.
By that point, none of the groups on the course had completed their opening rounds, and roughly half of the 156 competitors had not even taken their first tee shot. Amid the chaos, Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin managed to carve out a solid performance. He had completed 13 holes in five‑under‑par, sitting one stroke ahead of England’s Joe Dean and Spain’s Nacho Elvira.
Starting his round from the 10th tee, McKibbin displayed a blend of precision and aggression, birdieing the 15th, 17th and 18th holes in quick succession and adding further birdies on the 1st and 3rd holes to solidify his advantage. The tournament’s broader narrative includes a number of LIV Golf players who are present only because the LIV Team Championship in Michigan was cancelled.
McKibbin, a former DP World Tour victor, and his teammate Tyrrell Hatton, who was slated to start in the Thursday afternoon session, are both competing under these unusual circumstances. The British Masters also serves as the inaugural qualifying event for the 2027 European Ryder Cup team, with the next edition of the competition set to be held at Adare Manor. Captain Luke Donald, playing his home course at The Belfry, was recorded at one‑under‑par through his first 14 holes, indicating a strong showing in the early stages of the qualification race. Looking ahead, tournament director Ben Groutage explained that the first round will pick back up on Friday at 7:30 a.m., with the remaining groups teeing off between 8:00 a.m.
and 10:00 a.m. The second round is not slated to begin until 1:45 p.m. that same day.
Groutage added, "We'll just see how far we can get tomorrow. We have some weather coming in again tomorrow afternoon, so you know, we'll stay out there for as long as we can." For fans eager to follow the action, all four rounds of the Husqvarna British Masters will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Coverage will continue on Friday from 12:30 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf, and viewers can also stream the tournament without a contract via the NOW platform, taking advantage of the latest Sky Sports subscription deals. In summary, despite the relentless rain, lightning, and water‑logged hazards that turned the opening day into a stop‑start affair, Tom McKibbin managed to seize a one‑shot lead through a combination of steady play and timely birdies. The field now looks to resume on Friday, hoping for more stable conditions that will allow the competition to progress and ultimately determine who will emerge as the British Masters champion and secure valuable Ryder Cup points.