Tough start for McIlroy, Spieth

SOUTHAMPTON, NY: Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth were among the big names whose victory hopes were almost blown away on a dramatic, windswept opening morning at the US Open yesterday.

Any hopes that the Shinnecock Hills course would yield some good early scores proved unfounded as a strong wind whipped across the treeless layout from the moment the first groups teed off just before 7am local time.

With half the field on the course in the first round, Englishman Ian Poulter and American Matt Kuchar led at two under par after nine and seven holes respectively.

Englishman Justin Rose, the second favourite behind Dustin Johnson, also started smoothly, even par after 11 holes, but good scores were few and far between.

Four-time major champion McIlroy and threetime major winner Spieth, playing with Phil Mickelson in one of the featured groups, featured for all the wrong reasons after teeing off at the 10th hole.

McIlroy plunged to six-over after eight holes, while Spieth was not faring much better at five-over.

McIlroy had consecutive double-bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes, and later bogeyed the par-five 16th, where he barely made it out of a fairway bunker.

The ball, however, had enough momentum to make it through the grass, if only barely, and trickle back to the fairway, allowing the Northern Irishman to avoid what could have been a calamity.

Spieth fared almost as badly, making a triple-bogey at his second hole, a par-three, where he found a greenside bunker and then blasted his second shot over the green.