Rory McIlroy missed out on an opportunity to seize the early clubhouse lead throughout a difficult opening spherical on the US Open, the place Scottie Scheffler made a combined begin to his Grand Slam bid.
McIlroy quickly held a two-shot cushion in windy situations at Shinnecock Hills, the place solely six of the morning wave completed under-par and play was halted for 2 hours resulting from thick fog, solely to bogey the ultimate two holes for a one-under 69.
The world No 2 combined an eagle and three birdies with 4 bogeys to complete on one underneath, the seventh time he has opened with a sub-70 opening spherical on the US Open, leaving him a shot behind morning clubhouse chief Sam Stevens.
McIlroy’s taking part in associate Ludvig Åberg additionally completed on one underneath, with Tommy Fleetwood an extra stroke again, whereas world No 1 Scheffler was 4 strokes again after opening with a two-over 72.
The strongest forecasted gusts hadn’t materialised however induced gamers issues as Scheffler, making his first try at turning into simply the seventh male in historical past to win all 4 majors, made an over-par begin to the US Open for the third consecutive yr.
Former main champions Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele had been among the many later starters, who shall be unable to get their opening rounds completed – due to the sooner delay – earlier than darkness.
McIlroy makes ‘good begin’ regardless of costly end
Beginning on the again 9 alongside Åberg and Fleetwood, McIlroy made an excellent begin when he adopted a 10-foot birdie on the eleventh by holing from 25 ft on the subsequent to seize a share of the lead.
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McIlroy posted back-to-back birdies early in his opening spherical to race up the US Open leaderboard
McIlroy missed from eight ft to save lots of par on the thirteenth however transformed from the identical distance on the subsequent to keep away from back-to-back bogeys, solely to drop a shot on the par-five sixteenth after an errant drive left him having to pitch out from an ungainly lie.
An excellent strategy into the par-three third arrange a close-range birdie earlier than McIlroy scrambled an unlikely par on the par-four fourth, rolling in from 20 ft after spraying his tee shot after which lacking the inexperienced together with his second.
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McIlroy holed a tremendous par save on his thirteenth gap to take his rating to at least one under-par on the primary day of the US Open.
McIlroy nailed a 396-yard drive down the par-five fifth after which fired one other spectacular iron shot, producing a 12-foot eagle – his first in a US Open for 9 years – to briefly put him two forward, however misplaced floor after failing to rise up and down to save lots of par on each his remaining two holes.
“With the conditions today, anything under par or anything around even par is a good score,” McIlroy mentioned. “It was a day to really keep yourself in the tournament and not shoot yourself out of it, which is exactly what I did eight years ago here [opening-round 80].
McIlroy is trying to win his seventh main title and second of the season
“Went out with the mindset that pars were going to be good and if you could pick up a couple of birdies here and there, that’s always a bonus. Really just minimising the mistakes and I did that for the most part today.”
McIlroy trails shock chief Stevens
Stevens teed off at 6.57am native time (11.57am UK time), simply minutes earlier than play was halted with fog, with the American bouncing again from double-bogeying his opening gap – the par-four tenth – to fireside six birdies in his two-under 68.
Former Open champion Brian Harman, Max Greyserman and Ben James, who secured his spot through Last Qualifying, had been the others to hitch Åberg and McIlroy within the morning wave to make an under-par begin.
McIlroy is trying to win the US Open for a second time, 15 years on from his maiden main title on the occasion
Scheffler was joined on two over by Gamers champion Cameron Younger, with Brooks Koepka – the champion the final time the US Open was held at Shinnecock Hills – posting a three-over 73 and defending champion JJ Spaun struggling to a gap 77.
“It was a really challenging day,” Scheffler mentioned. “If you told me when I was staring at my par putt on the ninth that I would post two over today, I would definitely have taken it at the time. Overall, it was a good battle.”
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