Rory rolls back the years
But Rory still disappointed with a 67
Maybe there is something in this Nappy Factor after all. Written off by many critics in the build-up to the US Open, Rory McIlroy opened with a 67 yesterday for his lowest first-round score in a major since his last victory at the US PGa Championship in 2014.
This was far more like it from the new parent, who has struggled for form since the end of lockdown. Here, he delivered a round that banished the memory of so many poor first days at majors in recent years.
McIlroy’s driving and iron play were right from the top drawer, as he birdied no fewer than three of the four short holes.
‘I felt like I was in control of my game for most of the round,’ he said. ‘ If anything, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t shoot one or two shots lower but I’m not about to complain.’
asked for the difference with some of the horror first rounds he has had at recent majors, McIlroy added: ‘I think it was a case of putting myself under too much pressure. Today I was more relaxed and just took what the course gave me rather than trying to force anything.’
For someone to post a 67 and still think of the shots that got away illustrated that this was not a typical day at Winged Foot.
McIlroy was one of many who could barely believe the receptive greens that made a mockery of the course’s reputation as the hardest in the game.
World No 3 Justin Thomas shot 65 and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed had an ace in his 66. When the US Open was last held at the venue 14 years ago there were only 12 scores in total in the sixties and here there were seven in the first 10 hours of play.
No one could dispute the quality of the names at the top of the leaderboard but let us hope the sub-air system is on full blast overnight on the greens and that for the next three days we get the US Open back.
‘I’ve got to admit the greens were much softer than I expected but it’s still Winged Foot and you still have to hit the shots,’ said Thomas.
We know the top players can do that all right when the requirement is effectively target golf.
Thomas was playing alongside Tiger Woods, who mixed plenty of good holes with too many bad ones. Standing over a long putt on the ninth, he was two over par and struggling.
No club in the history of the game has proven as priceless as Tiger’s Scotty Cameron putter, and here he sank that unlikely putt for the first of three birdies in a row. a fourth slipped just by, and with it the momentum went the other way, as he followed it with two more costly mistakes.
Once more, the putter with which he won 14 of his 15 majors came to the rescue, with a 30ft birdie putt at the 16th. He could not keep it going, alas.
In sight of a heartening level par round, he followed a bogey at the 17th with a duffed chip and a dispiriting double bogey at the 18th for a 73. Former US PGa champion Thomas, by contrast, kept on making birdies. He spoke on Tuesday of his instant love of this layout, and showed it with the way he shaped one great shot after another. a more typical Winged Foot test will surely emerge over the next three days but the 28-year-old american has all the shots to cope.
‘I’m obviously delighted to have posted that round over such a beautiful course,’ he said. ‘It was a sweet day’s work.’
you would probably have to go back over a decade to his early days playing in majors to find the last time that McIlroy’s chances of winning were rated so unfavourably. Such has been his poor form, the idea he could find his game at such a difficult venue appeared fanciful.
He could hardly have made a more encouraging start. after a wonderful long iron to 15ft at the 10th he rolled in the putt for the first birdie he has mustered on his opening hole at a US Open.
another birdie followed at the short 13th, as McIlroy flexed his muscles and seized the chance offered by the organisers with the uncharacteristically generous set-up.
Key to his good round, though, were the couple of par saves he made at the 12th and the second to keep the momentum going.
The reason for a touch of anguish at the finish concerned the driveable par-four sixth, where his fabulous tee shot finished 35ft away, only to three-putt.
Still, this was just the round he needed to have any chance on Sunday, the score required as protection for the much sterner test that surely lies ahead.
Not that everyone found it easy, mind. The biggest casualty of all among the morning wave was Collin Morikawa, the 23-year-old who won the US PGa Championship in such impressive style last month.
Here there was an obvious reaction, as he hit the ball all over the place and ended up carding a 76 that leaves him facing an uphill task simply to make the cut.
‘It was certainly scoreable today but you had to hit the ball in the right spots and clearly I did not do that,’ he said.