Rory McIlroy got off to a dream start on his way to winning the elusive fifth major title by tying for the first-round lead at the 124th US Open.
McIlroy, seeking his first major win since winning the PGA Championship in 2014, had five birdies for a bogey-free 65 on the second hole at Pinehurst to meet the early clubhouse goal set by Patrick Cantlay.
The Northern Irishman said earlier this week that he was “closer than ever” to ending a severe 10-year drought, while McIlroy, who already has three global wins this season, is off to his first unblemished start. This was supported by . US Open after winning wire-to-wire in 2011.
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McIlroy shot an impressive 5-under 65 to share the clubhouse lead with Pinehurst second at the U.S. Open.
Cantlay birdied three of the last five holes to move to 5 under par, while debutant Ludvig Åberg finished third ahead of 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.
McIlroy played alongside PGA Championship winner I fell behind in 9th place.
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Tiger Woods shot a disappointing 4-over-par 74 in the first round of the U.S. Open held on the second hole at Pinehurst.
How McIlroy made his big early moves
McIlroy opened with three straight pars and followed a 7-foot birdie at the fourth with a chip in on the par-5 next, and the 35-year-old took advantage of the par-5 10th after reaching the turn at the 33rd. .
The former world No. 1 recorded a two-putt par by making a 10-foot birdie on the par-4 16th hole, and advanced to a major tournament without a bogey for the first time in his career with a 20-foot birdie at the end. Winner of the 2014 Open.
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McIlroy birdied the second and final hole at Pinehurst to share the lead with Patrick Cantlay.
Cantlay mixed six birdies and a bogey during an impressive start, while DeChambeau, who had an impressive performance off the tee on opening day, shot a 33 on the ninth and added birdies on the third and fifth holes to take a late lead. threatened. .
But the American missed from eight feet to save par on the seventh hole and slipped back to three under par with Pavon maintaining a two-stroke lead this morning following two eagles in the space of six holes.
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Bryson DeChambeau reached the turn in 33 after chipping in on the par-4 18th hole at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
England's Tyrrell Hatton and Tony Finau started with 68s, Sergio Garcia entered the event late and shot a bogey-free 69, and Collin Morikawa had a birdie birdie. He recorded a level par score of 70 and scored 5 strokes. Schauffele and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka.
Schauffele, seeking back-to-back major wins after winning at Valhalla last month, had four birdies and a slew of bogeys mixed in during an uneven Open Day, leaving Scheffler six behind after struggling off the tee in his bid for a sixth PGA Tour title. 9 starts.
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Open champion Brian Harman opened with a 1-over 71, while Clark had just one birdie in his title defense and four bogeys along the way. Woods said that after failing to develop his skills, he lacked sharpness and performed poorly on the greens. A strong start.
Woods maintained the lead after playing the first six holes at 1 under par, but fell behind with five bogeys in seven straight holes. However, he was later seen offering support to Justin Thomas after two major championships. The champion fell to 7-over par 77.
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Woods began his U.S. Open campaign with a birdie on the first hole of the par-5 10th hole at Pinehurst's second hole.
McIlroy leads with 'controlled start'
McIlroy, who started with bogey-free rounds in three of his four major wins, said this. “I’ve had some bad starts to majors there for a while. I was probably too nervous at the start of the week.
“But going back to the PGA (Championship), I opened at Valhalla at 5 under par. Even going back to this tournament last year, I opened at 1 under, which was low. Not as low as Rickie (Fowler). And then there was Xander (Schauffele), but he opened at 1 under. It was nice to start off and feel like I was in the tournament from day one.
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McIlroy claims remaining patient and disciplined throughout his first round on the second hole at Pinehurst was the key to shooting a 5-under 65.
“Obviously in the major championships I’ve won or the ones I’ve played well in, I always feel like I get off to a good start, so it’s nice to get another win.
“My short game was good early on. I chipped in on the 5th and had some really good ups and downs on the 6th and 8th, but other than that I think I hit every other green. It was a really controlled round of golf.”
Who will be the third men's major winner this year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the second round begins on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm on Friday. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.
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