HATTON STUMBLES ON A SLOW START FOR ENGLISH NINE

TYRRELL HATTON’S dramatic fall after making the perfect start to his round summed up a forgettable first morning for the English contingent at the US Open yesterday.

In perfect conditions for making a score, not one of the nine out early broke par, with Matt Wallace the best with a level 70. Hatton (right) began birdie, birdie to set the early pace and ju justify his standing as the quiet fa fancy of many to land his first major title. Thereafter, alas, he could not stop the bogeys fr from ruining his card, as he tu tumbled to a first-round 74 th that leaves him with plenty of w work to do.

Wallace went the other way, recovering from a poor start th that left him two over par after ju just three holes. There were a also three successive bogeys on th the back nine but he cancelled o out his mistakes with five birdies fo for a round that represented a so solid start.

The 30-year-old Londoner has st struggled to live up to his p performance in the last major st staged in the New York area, when he finished third in the US PGA Championship at Bethpage in May last year, but this was more like it.

He was followed by Andy Sullivan and Paul Waring, who shot 71 and 72 respectively. Given the former has not played in an American major fo for five years, and the latter w was playing in just his second, th they were creditable performances.

The US Open has always been right up Justin Rose’s alley but, playing alongside a rejuvenated Rory McIlroy, his struggles continued with a 73 that certainly represented a wasted opportunity.

‘We had it as easy as it is going to play and the chance was there to shoot a low number,’ lamented the 40-year-old. Tom Lewis shot 74 while Ian Poulter’s poor record in this major — his best finish was tied 12th at Winged Foot in 2006 — looks set to continue after a disappointing 75.

Danny Willett was another toiler with a 77 while Eddie Pepperell propped up the list with a 78. Scot Robert McIntyre, playing in his first US Open, shot 74 and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, a decade on from his victory in this event, could only manage a 76. ‘Winged Foot was as there for the taking as it ever will be but I just kept making silly mistakes,’ he said.

Sadly, it proved something of a recurring theme.