​There are several ways to shoot 63 on the PGA Tour, and the early and late surge by the four co-leaders at Hurstbourne Country Club demonstrated that both phases of the round can set a tone for the day in Louisville, Kentucky, during the opening round of the 2026 ISCO Championship on Thursday. Steven Fisk and Stephan Jaeger jumped out to the top of the leaderboard, each posting a 63 before most of the gallery had worked their way into the scene.
Jaeger and Fisk led the way with flawless scores, though their path to the top wasn’t identical. Both navigated the course without a bogey, a feat that underscored how clean their rounds were, but they didn’t share the same birdie distribution. They each reached 7 under after 18 holes in the Bluegrass State, with Lucas Glover and Troy Merritt also climbing into a tie for the lead later in the day after finishing at 7 under as well.
Glover and Jaeger reached their 63s by playing aggressively and avoiding mistakes. Yet even with a bogey-free ball striking effort around Hurstbourne, they each struck only two birdies on the same two holes—the par-5 10th and the par-4 12th—showing that consistency can come in different forms. “I’ve been hitting it good for a couple weeks,” Glover said after his round. He explained that he found something Sunday morning during a session at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut and has carried that into this week. “I took it to Deere and brought it here, and it seems to be clicking. I just need to hit a few more fairways for the rest of the week. I missed several fairways with the fairway woods, which is unlike me, so I’ve got to clean that up a little bit. But I’ll work on that in the morning. It’s too hot to work on it tonight.”
The tournament’s second round beckons as players chase the overnight pace-setters. The ISCO Championship at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville promises more fireworks on Friday, with the second round set to begin in the morning.
In Fisk’s case, he opened with a blemish on the first hole but quickly flipped the script. He erased the early miscue and rattled off five consecutive birdies on the next five holes, a stretch that helped him to a front-nine 31. “I can’t remember the last time I made five straight birdies,” he admitted after the round. “I hit a bunch of quality shots middle of the green, ended up close enough to get the next one to go in. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often, so very appreciated.”
Merritt, meanwhile, climbed into contention with a late surge, posting the best back nine of the group and finishing with a 6-under 29 on the second nine. “I don’t mind the bent greens, especially in the summertime,” he said of his quick improvement around the putting surfaces. “Sometimes you’re in the perfect spot on the green and you can see the line and match up the speed with it, and then there are other days when you’re not in the right spot and you can’t find the line. Today was one of those days where I had the right putts and I hit the lines.”
As the field moves into Friday’s second round at Hurstbourne, all four leaders will likely be anxious to maintain their pace while others on the leaderboard try to catch them. The ISCO Championship continues to shape up as a test of precision and patience, with birdie runs and strategic decisions likely to define who can separate themselves in the days ahead.
Round 2 of the ISCO Championship will begin Friday, July 10, at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Golf Channel will be on site to bring viewers live coverage, analysis, and updates as the field seeks to replicate or surpass the scoring depth seen in the opening round.