Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Rory’s in hunt at Winged Foot
TWO days after stressing the need for a fast start, Rory McIlroy got just what he wanted in the first round of the 120th US Open at a relatively benign Winged Foot.
Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy shot five-over-par to win the last US Open at the venue in 2006, while American Hale Irwin was seven over in surviving the so-called “Massacre at Winged Foot” in 1974.
The United States Golf Association has come in for severe criticism in recent years for its course set-up but McIlroy was among the early starters who made the most of ideal conditions.
A three-under-par 67 left McIlroy two shots off the clubhouse lead held by world No 3 Justin Thomas, with former Masters champion Patrick Reed on four under following a 66 aided by a hole-in-one on the seventh.
McIlroy had spoken on Tuesday about the need for a good opening round as he looks to claim a first Major title since the 2014 US PGA
Championship. In his last eight Major starts, the former world No 1 was a total of 16-over-par in the first round, compared to a combined 23 under in rounds two, three and four.
“First round of a Major you’re always anxious to play well and maybe I’ve overthought it at times,” McIlroy said after his lowest opening round in the US Open since 2011 at Congressional, where he went on to win by eight shots.
“I just went out today and just took what was given to me a little more relaxed and played really nicely.
“I think at a US Open if you can get off to a good start, you’re not chasing as much.
And when you chase on US Open golf courses, that’s when you can start to make mistakes and compound your errors.
“There was a couple other chances I let slip by so there was chances there to maybe sneak another two or three out of the round,” McIlroy added. “But at the same time, 67 here is always going to be a good score.
“Some courses you show up, you don’t really have to work that hard for a 67, where here you do. So it’s a little more gratifying.”
Thomas carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in his 65, outscoring playing partner Tiger Woods by eight shots.
“It was a good day for me from the start,” Thomas said. “I’ve just played really, really solidly. Hit a lot of really quality tee shots, only had a few squirrelly ones, it felt like. The few greens I missed, I hit great bunker shots to give myself good par chances.
“It’s one of the best rounds I’ve played in a while tee to green. There are a couple things here and there that definitely could have been better, but I made sure all of my misses were in the right spot, and that’s what you have to do at a US Open.”
Woods recovered from early bogeys to be level par after 16, only to bogey the 17th and take a double-bogey six on the last after duffing a pitch from short of the green.