Wyndham Clark charged right into a four-shot lead after a weather-disrupted first day of the US Open, as Rory McIlroy made a stable begin and Scottie Scheffler stayed in profession Grand Slam competition.
Solely six of the morning wave have been capable of break par in gusty circumstances at Shinnecock Hills, the place fog compelled an early two-hour suspension in play, however Clark took benefit of the calmer afternoon climate to cost to the highest of the leaderboard.
The 2023 champion reached the flip in 32 earlier than cancelling out a bogey on the par-three second with back-to-back birdies on his subsequent two holes. He then produced a surprising method into the par-five fifth to arrange a close-range eagle.
Clark was six underneath for his spherical with two holes remaining when play was suspended on account of darkness at 8.25pm native time (1.25am UK time), with the American having the possibility to create main historical past when play resumes at 6.35am (11.35am BST) on Friday.
He must birdie one in all his remaining two holes to put up an opening-round 63 and equal the course report, whereas a birdie-birdie end would see him match the bottom spherical in males’s main historical past.
“Birdieing the first two was really nice,” Clark stated. “Then I had a little bit of a lull, but made some great par saves. It was great birdieing 18. Then a little mishap, missed a shorty on one and then a bogey on two, but then got into a nice rhythm. Everything was clicking.”
Sam Stevens was the decide of the morning starters as he set the clubhouse goal with a two-under 68, just for compatriot Max McGreevy and novice Ryder Cowan to match it later within the day, with 4 former US Open champions additionally sitting on two underneath with holes to finish.
Matt Fitzpatrick has two holes to play, and each Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland have three remaining, whereas two-time main winner Jon Rahm completes the group and is tied-second with 5 holes to finish.
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Dustin Johnson carded 4 birdies in a row throughout the opening spherical of US Open at Shinnecock Hills, seeing the two-time main champion cost up the leaderboard
McIlroy impresses as Scheffler makes gradual begin
Masters champion McIlroy briefly held a two-shot lead earlier within the day when an eagle on the fifth lifted him to 3 underneath, just for the world No 2 – chasing a second main win of the season – to make a bogey-bogey end to his opening-round 69.
“With the conditions today, anything under par or anything around even par is a good score,” McIlroy stated. “It was a day to actually maintain your self within the event and never shoot your self out of it, which is precisely what I did eight years in the past right here [opening-round 80].
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Rory McIlroy shot a one-under-par opening spherical on the US Open to sit down a shot behind the morning clubhouse lead
“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’s taking part in companion Ludvig Åberg additionally completed on one underneath, with Tommy Fleetwood an additional stroke again, whereas world No 1 Scheffler was 4 strokes again after opening with a two-over 72.
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Rory McIlroy jumped into the US Open lead throughout the opening spherical after a sensational eagle on the par-five fifth
Scheffler was joined on two over by Gamers champion Cameron Younger, whereas Brooks Koepka – the champion the final time the US Open was held at Shinnecock Hills in 2017 – posted a three-over 73 and defending champion JJ Spaun struggled to a gap 77.
“It was a really challenging day,” Scheffler stated. “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.”
These within the afternoon wave obtained one of the best of the circumstances and would be the early starters on Friday, the place tee occasions have been pushed again to fifteen minutes later than initially scheduled.
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