The lesson, they tried to tell us, was not to attack Pinehurst No. 2, but to survive. The slippery greens that characterize this Donald Ross gem shaped like an upside-down saucer test the limits of fairness. There will be blood.
Someone forgot to tell Rory McIlroy that he started the day strong, shooting 5-under 65 to end a decade-long quest for a fifth major title, tying the lowest score in U.S. Open history at Pinehurst, the site of the U.S. Championship for the fourth time since 1999.
“It’s nice to start off low and feel like you’re in the tournament from day one,” said McIlroy, who came into the tournament riding a wave of confidence after winning his second tournament of the year at Quail Hollow last month and then finishing in the top 20 in three consecutive tournaments.
“Certainly, every major that I’ve won or done well in, I feel like I’ve always started well, so it’s nice to start well again.”
The in-form Northern Irishman drilled his fifth birdie of the day on the 18th hole to tie Patrick Cantlay for the early clubhouse lead. The 32-year-old Californian has struggled with inconsistency all year but finished the back nine in 1 under and added gains on the first, fifth, sixth and eighth holes to take the lead by one stroke over Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, who was making his tournament debut.
McIlroy earlier this week attributed his gradually improving form in the tournament to a “epiphany moment” with the USGA’s unforgiving approach to the setup. The 35-year-old has finished in the top 10 in his last five U.S. Open appearances and has performed better each time, including last year’s runner-up to Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club.
The upward trend appears to be alive and well, and for those looking for omens, McIlroy didn’t make a bogey in the opening round of a major championship and then finished the final three rounds by hoisting the trophy on Sunday.
France’s Mathieu Pabon had two eagles just before midday to finish with a 67, two strokes behind 2020 champion Bryson DeChambeau. Tony Finau and Tyrrell Hatton are three strokes back from the lead. Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia, one of just 12 players in the LIV Golf Series out of the 156-player field, finished with just his sixth bogey-free round at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst to be one of 11 players at one under par.
On a windless day in the North Carolina sand dunes, everyone took advantage of soft, scoring conditions on the 7,540-yard course. That could prove decisive as temperatures are expected to exceed 90°F (32°C) on Friday and Saturday, threatening to make the already challenging greens play even harder and faster.
But there was no shortage of struggles from the very first moment Thursday morning, when qualifier Michael McGowan, 33, who grew up in nearby Southern Pines, swung his first tee shot left into the natural sand. The local favorite’s double bogey was a preview of the tough battles to come on a course known for its dangerously domed greens, where putts that just missed the cup easily rolled off the crown edge and into bunkers.
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Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, playing on the same course where he rose from obscurity to fame 10 years ago when he finished fourth and qualified for the PGA Tour, spent much of the morning at the top of the leaderboard before dropping to 3 under, but three bogeys on the final few holes put him at even for the day.
Tiger Woods, who is yet to play in just his fourth tournament of the season, made a series of crucial par saves to turn in one over par, but a rapid decline that included five bogeys over seven straight holes marred another promising start. The 48-year-old Woods birdied the first hole, and the excitement was already building just knowing the 15-time major champion was atop the U.S. Open leaderboard with 71 holes to go. But on a course where even the slightest poor shot is punished, Woods’ rustiness eventually took its toll.
McIlroy’s partners in the main group of the world’s top three players struggled to keep up, with world number one Scottie Scheffler struggling to finish at one over par and newly reigning PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele struggling as well at even par despite hitting just six fairways and eight of 16 greens in regulation.
In the run-up to the season’s third major, player after player has spoken about the boring, conservative golf Pinehurst will need to play to limit the damage. None of the players who made an early impact Thursday played better than McIlroy and Cantlay, even though Cantlay was keenly aware of the challenges ahead.
“I think you can make the golf course as difficult as you want it to be, and with the Bermuda greens and no rain in the forecast, I think the golf course is going to be very difficult over the next few days,” Cantlay said. “When we started at 7:40 in the morning, we knew it was going to be the easiest course of the week. There’s very little wind, so it’s probably going to be the softest course.”
The US Open’s prize money has reached a record high of $21.5 million (£16.8 million), with the winner on Sunday standing with a cheque worth $4.3 million.
