No. 10: It Wasn’t His Fault
On the 10th, Tiger Woods missed the fairway and then came up short with his approach, which left him with a 30-yard pitch shot onto a tough elevated green. He left himself with some work to save par. As he approached the putt, it appeared the ball slightly moved, causing a shudder through the crowd. But an official came over and deemed it was not a penalty. Tiger sank the putt to save the par.
Front-Nine Recap: Tiger’s Still in Contention
Tiger Woods has made the turn in a tie for 35th at +3, but he steadied himself nicely after a nightmarish opening hole.
Woods looked unprepared for the treacherous greens and gusty winds at Shinnecock Hills. On the first, he needed five shots to get on the green — including an embarrassing putt from the fringe that rolled back to his feet — and finished with a triple-bogey 7 to begin his first U.S. Open appearance since 2015. He then bogeyed No. 2 to fall into a deep hole.
But, unlike Rory McIlroy and some others out here, he managed to steady himself quickly before the wheels completely fell off. In fact, Woods swung exceptionally well, hitting all but one fairway on the front. He birdied the par-5 fifth and missed some other birdie efforts, but all in all he has done well to keep himself in contention halfway through Round 1.
No. 9: Solid Turnaround Before the Turn
After another par on the tricky ninth hole, Tiger will make the turn holding steady at three-over.
He has got to be pleased with that turnaround after the triple-bogey, bogey start. He hit all but one fairway on the front nine. If he starts making some of those midrange putts, he’ll be in business. He also just looks serene out there, laughing and joking with his buddy, Justin Thomas, who is also playing well.
No. 8: Not Ideal, But Not So Bad
Who needs a putter?
Dustin Johnson holes out from the bunker on eight to move back into a tie for the lead at two-under par. It certainly made up for a disappointing wedge approach from only about 100 yards after an absolutely monstrous drive downwind.
Woods had another birdie look but missed the putt left. He is really swinging nicely now, but the putter remains less than reliable. Still only five strokes behind the leader.
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No. 7: Saved by the Rough
Another really good birdie look for Tiger on the par-3 seventh after his tee shot went a little short of the hole and trickled down toward the left bunker. A slim cut of rough that wasn’t there in 2004 saved it from sinking into the trap, and Woods took advantage. He came inches from making the birdie and tapped in for par to remain at three-over.
No. 6: A Helping Hand from Tiger
Tiger had a 19-foot birdie try on the difficult sixth hole but it fell just short. So he finishes with a par and will look ahead to another brutal hole: the par-3 seventh and its famously slick green.
Tiger found other ways to contribute on the sixth hole, though. After Dustin Johnson’s tee shot went into the fescue, it took about 20 people to dig around in the tall grass to find it. Among those who lent a hand: Tiger Woods.
No. 5: Tiger Nails First Birdie
The world No. 1 is stealing the show at Shinnecock.
Back-to-back birdies by Dustin Johnson (-2) has him trailing Russell Henley by one stroke after taking advantage of the par-5 fifth hole, which has been arguably the easiest hole on the course today. Johnson is really rolling the ball well, and that is always going to be the key for him considering how incredibly well he drives the ball.
His groupmate, Tiger Woods, also birdied to get back to three over par for his round. But Woods definitely looks like his game has settled down after a rocky first two holes.
No. 4: Tiger Holds Par
After his tee shot left him with an awkward, sidehill lie for his second shot, Woods manages to get up and down nicely again from behind the green. This was easily his nicest chip shot of the day, off a very tight lie around the green. He holds on for a par.
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Meanwhile, after getting up and down for par on each of the first three holes, Dustin Johnson is now in the red with a birdie on the fourth.
No. 3: Woods Bounces Back With a Beautiful Drive
Tiger answers with a par on the third hole after a beautiful drive and a nice second shot that went just off the back of the green. But, this time, he managed to get up and down without incident. He’ll move on to the fourth hole, which has played as one of the easiest of the day.
No. 2: Tiger’s Par Putt Rolls Away
Things did not get much better for Woods at the second hole.
On this mammoth par-3, he tried to cut a low 2-iron underneath the wind and onto the green, but it trickled off the back. But he could not get up and down, missing a short par putt for a bogey 4.
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At least it’s a slight improvement from Hole 1.
No. 1: Tiger Starts With a Triple-Bogey
Welcome back to the U.S. Open, Tiger!
In his first appearance in the Open since 2015, Woods got a taste of what most of the field has already experienced: This course is tough.
After a nice opening drive, Tiger flew the green with his second shot, then came up short with a chip shot that he was clearly trying to play safe. And that backside of the green is awfully slick. For his fourth shot, he tried to putt it up to the surface but didn’t make it. The ball trickled slowly, slowly, back down to his feet.
He put a little more oomph into his next putt, which left him with about eight feet for double bogey. But he missed that putt as well. So it’s a triple-bogey 7 to start the round for Tiger Woods. He’s now got a 255-yard par 3 into the wind to look forward to!
Tiger Time
Tiger Woods has teed off at the first hole, starting his 20th U.S. Open appearance. He’s won three times. The last time the Open was at Shinnecock, in 2004, Tiger finished tied for 17th at +10.
Today he’s grouped with Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson, the world No. 1.
A Tale of Two Scotts
Ian Poulter is in the clubhouse with a 69, and he’s in good company: He and Scott Piercy are the only players to shoot under par so far through Round 1 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, fellow Englishman Scott Gregory did not have such a great round. The 2016 British Amateur champ did not manage a single birdie on his way to carding a 92, or 22-over par. It’s the first round over 90 at a U.S. Open since Felix Casas shot 92 at Bethpage in 2002.
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Not-So-Super Group
Phil Mickelson. Jordan Spieth. Rory McIlroy. It sounded like a great group to follow in the first round ... but it hasn’t turned out that way. To be fair, no one is playing all that well today with the wind, but take a look at these scores through 16 holes:
• McIlroy +9
• Mickelson +6
• Spieth +8
Ouch.
Ugly Misses for a Spiraling Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy came into the U.S. Open this week feeling so good about his game that he was happy to have an early tee time on Thursday. But things have spiraled out of control quickly for the 2011 U.S. Open champion.
Starting on the back nine, back-to-back double bogeys on the 13th and 14th put him in a deep hole and things continued to only get worse. Another 6 on the par-4 first hole followed by a bogey on the second saw his score at 10-over par after just 11 holes. Yikes.
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McIlroy has hit only 21.3 percent of greens in regulation, and some of his misses have been ugly. After hitting into a fairway bunker on the 16th, he failed to clear the lip of the trap and the ball bounced straight up in the air.
Birdies on the fifth and sixth have mitigated some of the carnage on his scorecard, but he is still looking at a score approaching the 80s.
Wind is Wreaking Havoc Early; Worse Coming
Most players at Shinnecock should know that the wind is always a factor. Not sure they expected Round 1 to go like this, though.
The wind has been blowing steadily at 15 to 20 mph throughout the morning and gusts are expected to reach 30 mph in the afternoon. This has made things challenging not just for driving and approaching, but tricky for putting as well.
On the par-4 14th, Scott Stallings reached the green in three and then needed six putts to finish the hole. The second hole, a 255-yard par 3 that is playing into the wind, has also been nightmarish for a lot of groups.
Looking for Birdie
Jason Day has bogeyed eight of the 14 holes he’s played so far today, and he shot each of the other six at par. It’s been a rough round for most players who teed off this morning. Only two — Scott Piercy and Ian Poulter — are under par.
Enough about the traffic and what happened in 2004 , thankfully, it's time for some actual golf. The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills, and while the historic track -- and all its potential treachery -- will take center stage, so will a large group of stars playing at a high level. Dustin Johnson, fresh off a six-shot victory in Memphis, will tee off as a 9-to-1 favorite, but close behind are Justin Rose (12/1), and Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler all at 16/1. Then there are the two guys everyone will be paying attention to: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Each will anchor a marquee group on Thursday and Friday with Woods playing alongside DJ and JT (1:47 p.m. ET on Thursday) and Phil grouped with Rory and Jordan Spieth (8:02 on Thursday). As the action gets underway, here are some last-minute thoughts from our editors and a chat with Sergio Garcia . And keep it here for all the latest scores, news and highlights.
5:15 p.m.: After another good drive, Tiger comes up just short on his approach and No. 12 and just misses a long putt from the fringe for birdie. Playing partner Justin Thomas doesn't have to worry about judging his birdie putt after doing this:
Maybe a first birdie will finally get the former World No. 1 going. Meanwhile, the current No. 1 makes bogey to drop back to two under. He's tied for the lead with Russell Henley.
5:00 p.m.: Woods makes his first bogey since the second hole and it comes on another difficult par 3, No. 11. This time, he finds the right bunker, hits an indifferent second, and misses an 18-footer for par. Meanwhile, Johnson drains a similar putt for birdie to move to three under and take the lead.
4:40 p.m.: Woods makes a remarkable par save on No. 10 from the bottom of the slope in front of the green, but first a rules issue. As Tiger is lining up his four-footer for par his ball moves. But after conferring with DJ -- and rules officials -- there is no penalty thanks to a new(ish) rule stemming from a similar incident with DJ at Oakmont two years ago. Carry on, everyone.
4:20 p.m.: Woods, Thomas and Johnson all par No. 9. As they make the turn, Johnson is in the lead at two under while Thomas (+1) and Woods (+3) remain within striking distance.
4:00 p.m.: Woods and Thomas find the green, but miss very makable birdie opportunities. Johnson finds the sand, but doesn't miss on this incredible bunker shot:
The World No. 1 is now 2 under and tied for the lead. That's not good news for the rest of the field.
3:51 p.m.: Woods' ball just hangs on in the light rough on the "Redan" hole instead of tumbling into a deep bunker. From there he plays a bump-in-run that results in a tap-in par. Then he pummels another driver on the par-4 8th. Now this is more like it. . .
3:37 p.m.: Shinnecock Hills finally bites Russell Henley as he pays a steep price for a bad pitch shot and makes double bogey. There are now eight golfers under par, but no one is better than -1.
3:30 p.m.: Bit of a crazy situation on No. 6 after Dustin Johnson's tee shot bounces into the fescue. A search party has trouble finding his ball -- look at Tiger putting in a big-time effort!
Until Rich Beem (Yes, that Rich Beem) finds it by stepping on it. Since no one knows how that affected the lie, DJ gets a drop. He can't quite take advantage of the break, pitching out and failing to get up-and-down for par. Still, it's better than a lost ball. Tiger and Justin Thomas narrowly miss their birdie attempts.
3:15 p.m.: Tiger takes advantage of the lone par 5 on the front nine, booming a drive, coming up short with his second and pitching to five feet. His first birdie gets him back to three over. Playing partner DJ also makes birdie to get to two under.
2:51 p.m.: Woods goes long on his approach shot for a fourth straight hole to start his round, but a deft chip leaves him a tap-in par. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson makes his first birdie of the tournament to get into red figures:
Co-worker Ryan Herrington, who picked DJ to win, starts chirping in my ear. Way to go out on a limb, Ryan. Also, despite DJ's good start, it's Russell Henley who leads at three under. Not that any of this matters. There's a lot of golf to be played.
2:32 p.m.: Tiger pipes a driver (past Dustin) and makes par on the difficult par-4 3rd. Still, that triple bogey looms large. Yes, he made a triple bogey during his romp at the 2000 U.S. Open. But that was 2000 Tiger.
2:18 p.m.: It doesn't get much better for Woods on No. 2. After a driving iron on this brute of a par 3 just runs through the green, Woods three-putts from the fringe for bogey. Two holes, four over. Ouch.
2:05 p.m.: Oh boy. After missing long on No. 1 with his approach, Woods' flop shot comes up short and rolls back down the hill. Then his putt comes up short. Then he finally finds the green and misses for double bogey. That's right. Tiger Woods starts the 2018 U.S. Open with a triple bogey. Meanwhile, Johnson and Thomas make great par saves. If there's a bright side for Tiger, it's that he's still only four shots off the lead. And that he double bogeyed the first hole at Torrey Pines three times in 2008 and still won the U.S. Open that year.
1:55 p.m.: Maybe I spoke too soon. . . DJ and JT both find a greenside bunker while Tiger airmails the green. Again, this is supposed to be Shinnecock's easiest hole. Not a good start.
1:50 p.m.: Tiger Woods finds the fairway on the first hole with an iron, which isn't that big of a deal since you could land a 747 on that thing. Still, we're off.
Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas do the same, and I'm just going to guess these three will beat the 25 over shot by Phil, Rory and Jordan earlier.
1:33 p.m.: The first round mercifully ends for the group of Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. Phil nipped Spieth for low honors in the group with a 77, and Rory carded an 80, the worst opening round at a major in his career. Add it all up, and this pairing was a combined 25 over par. Maybe McIlroy was right about these marquee groups being a bad thing. . .
1:29 p.m.: Sergio Garcia birdies the first hole. That's great news for him and great news for me since it gives me another opportunity to plug the podcast I did with him earlier this week:
1:15 p.m.: And we have a second player to (barely) shoot in the 60s! Ian Poulter joins Scott Piercy with a 69. "It's nice to get into the clubhouse with a red number in the first round of a U.S. Open," Poulter said after. "I don't think I've done that before." FACT CHECK: Poulter actually shot a 1-under 70 at Pebble Beach in 2010, but maybe he meant a score in the 60s. Either way, it's a great start for Poulter.
12:47 p.m.: Justin Rose posts a solid opening 71. The 2013 U.S. Open champ at Merion didn't convert many birdie opportunities, but he nearly holed a couple sand shots en route to shooting one over, which currently puts him in the top 10 on this trying Thursday. "I'm watching the TV here with you and seeing Rory, Phil and Jordan struggle," Rose told Fox's Shane O'Donoghue. "So that makes me feel a lot better about my round."
12:45 p.m.: In a fantastic example of too little, too late, Rory McIlroy birdies his second consecutive hole at the 6th. That moves the four-time major champ back to eight over. If he's got a side game with his playing partners, though, he's now only two back of both after Mickelson and Spieth bogey the difficult par 4.
12:40 p.m.: Tiger is here! Tiger is here! The 14-time major champ makes his way to the practice area in a grey pants-navy shirt combo that gets my wife's approval. This is Tiger's first time playing in the U.S. Open since missing the cut (badly) at Chambers Bay in 2015. Of course, he's also trying to win his first major since capturing this tournament at Torrey Pines in 2008. Feel like taking a walk down memory lane? You're in luck. I recently took a look back at that epic victory .
12:22 p.m.: For the first time all day, Phil, Rory and Jordan play a hole in which neither make a bogey. Not only that, they all make birdie on the par-5 5th hole. That brings this star-studded group's cumulative score through 14 holes down to 19 over. This leads to an obvious question. . .
And what's an obvious (at least, to me) answer: YES!
12:03 p.m.: Scott Piercy proves it's possible to break par at Shinnecock Hills, firing a one-under 69 to start his tournament. And Piercy is no stranger to playing well under difficult conditions. The four-time PGA Tour winner finished T-2 at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
11:57 a.m.: And there it is. Scott Gregory, an English pro who was the 2016 British amateur champ, posts 92. He might be the only guy who fails to break 90, but there are going to be a bunch of players who don't break 80 on Thursday. And two guys who appear to be heading that way are to former World No. 1s, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day. Both are at 10 over well into their second nines.
11:35 a.m.: Scott Gregory just double bogeyed No. 17 to fall to 21 over (Yes, TWENTY-ONE over) with one hole to play. That guarantees we will see a score in the 90s at the U.S. Open for the first time since 1992. History!
11:07 a.m.: OK, it's a new nine for the morning marquee group and the first hole is the easiest hole on the course. Time to get something going, right? Nope. Mickelson makes a four-footer for par while Spieth makes bogey and McIlroy makes double. Rory is now nine over through 10 holes. HOWEVAH, if he uses what a 15-handicap friend of mine calls "The Standard" (AKA bogey golf), he's one under. Gotta stay positive.
11:02 a.m.: Jason Day just chipped in on 12! To save par! And stay at six over! U.S. Open, baby!
10:47 a.m.: Jordan Spieth drains a 30-footer birdie putt on 18 to make the turn in . . . 39.
Playing partner Phil Mickelson is also four over, while the third member of the group, Rory McIlroy, cards an opening 42. Let's hope the afternoon super group of Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas fares a bit better.
10:10 a.m.: Matt Kuchar birdies No. 6 to get to two under and tie the early lead with Ian Poulter. Earlier this week, Fox analyst and eight-time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon said Kuchar was his under-the-radar pick on the Golf Digest Podcast . So if it happens, we're taking partial credit for that prediction. If it doesnt, we're never mentioning it again.
9:55 a.m.: Finally, a little life from Rory McIlroy. He rolls in his first birdie on No. 15 (his sixth holed of the day) to get back to (gulp) five over.
9:52 a.m.: Matthew Fitzpatrick rolls in a 30-foot curler for eagle on No. 5. See? This course isn't that hard. Fitz joins a group of eight players currently under par, led by Charley Hoffman at -2.
9:35 a.m.: Shinnecock is playing tough from tee to green, but the wind is also wreaking havoc on the putting surfaces. Take the story of Scott Stallings, who found the green with his third shot on the par-4 14th, but walked away with a NINE .
9:30 a.m.: Spieth makes his longest putt of the day, a 10-footer, but it's for another bogey. Meanwhile, McIlroy makes a second straight double bogey. At three over through five holes, Mickelson is dusting his playing partners. Fox Sports just came on the air with their coverage. They might be showing a lot less of the morning marquee group than planned if this keeps up. . .
9:10 a.m.: Justin Rose, the second-favorite (and my pick) to win, has moved to red numbers through five holes. Meanwhile, the early marquee group of Phil, Rory and Jordan is a combined 11 over through four holes. Yikes.
8:55 a.m.: Jordan Spieth is not the only big name struggling early at Shinnecock. Playing partners Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are both two over through three, Jason Day is three over through four, and Bubba Watson is three over through three.
Somewhere, Mike Davis is smiling.
8:43 a.m.: After birdieing his first two holes, Patrick Reed bogeys No. 3. I'll admit, that GRAND SLAM call may have been just a tad premature. . .
8:31 a.m.: The good news for Jordan Spieth? He rammed in a five-footer on his second hole after a miss from a similar distance on his first. The bad news? It was for TRIPLE BOGEY. Yep, Jordan Spieth is four over through two holes. Not an ideal start.
8:28 a.m.: Reigning Masters champ Patrick Reed birdies the first two holes. Patrick Reed is winning the GRAND SLAM!!!
8:23 a.m.: BEEF!!!! Andrew "Beef" Johnston birdies his first hole and that's good news for everyone. Why? Because if the Brit wins this tournament, you can pick up a free sandwich from Arby's on July 4th . Man, if you thought he was popular now. . .
8:19 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, whose putting struggles have been well-documented this year, leaves himself a four-footer for par on his first hole and. . . doesn't touch the hole. Ouch. Mickelson also bogeys, which McIlroy misses a good look at birdie and settles for par.
8:10 a.m.: Mickelson, McIlroy and Spieth all find the fairway on the par-4 10th, their first hole of the day. However, Mickelson goes long, Spieth only finds the front of the green and McIlroy hits a nice shot to about 10 feet. The wind is howling, folks! Well, it's actually pretty typical for this area, but it's certainly a force. Even with some softer conditions from yesterday's rain, we could see some carnage today!
7:55 a.m.: Defending champ Brooks Koepka birdies the opening hole. We're going to have a repeat, people! OK, not so fast. You will probably see a lot of birdies on the 399-yard, downhill par 4, which is arguably Shinnecock's easiest hole. Things get a lot tougher after that. . . But still, it's a nice start for Koepka, who rolled in a 40-footer to quickly get into red numbers.
118th U.S. Open Championship Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y., June 11-17, 2018
The U.S. Open is underway at Shinnecock Hills!
Opening-round play is here Thursday in New York. We will be tracking the action. Follow along below…
How to follow the action:
All times Eastern and represent Thursday
TELEVISION: FS1 (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.); Fox (4:30-7:30 p.m.)
FS1 (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.); Fox (4:30-7:30 p.m.) ONLINE STREAMING: USOpen.com, Featured Group 1 (7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.); USOpen.com, Featured Group 2 (8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.); Featured Holes Nos. 7, 9 and 11 (8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.)
USOpen.com, Featured Group 1 (7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.); USOpen.com, Featured Group 2 (8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.); Featured Holes Nos. 7, 9 and 11 (8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.) ON GOLFWEEK: Tour Tracker | All coverage
• • •
U.S. Open Tracker
UPDATE No. 23 (5:21 p.m. ET): Dustin Johnson bogeys No. 12 to fall to 2 under and he’s now co-leading with Russell Henley (through 15).
UPDATE No. 22 (5 p.m. ET): DJ sneaks in a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 11th and that moves him to 3 under and one in front.
UPDATE No. 21 (4:50 p.m. ET): A look at the top of the leaderboard.
DJ is still in front (sharing the lead).
UPDATE No. 20 (4 p.m. ET): DJ is feeling it! He holes a greenside bunker shot for birdie at the par-4 eighth!
That moves him back to 2 under and into a tie for the lead with Jason Dufner.
UPDATE No. 19 (3:40 p.m. ET): Dustin Johnson is among those on top.
He actually held the solo lead at 2 under after a Russell Henley double bogey dropped him to 1 under. But DJ bogeyed the sixth to fall to 1 under. But he’s in a seven-way tie for the lead still.
UPDATE No. 18 (3 p.m. ET): Russell Henley is the new solo leader at 3 under.
He birdies No. 8 to move in front. It’s still tough this afternoon and the wind is still there, but it seems like things have eased up just the slightest this afternoon.
UPDATE No. 17 (2:55 p.m. ET): Brian Gay and Russell Henley are both 2 under and tied for the lead now. Gay is through nine and Henley is through seven.
There are now nine players under par, but remember that only two are in the clubhouse.
UPDATE No. 16 (2:27 p.m. ET): Peter Uihlein is your new solo leader!
He birdies Nos. 4 and 5 to move to 2 under. Five players are T-2 at 1 under, with three of those early in their rounds also.
UPDATE No. 15 (2:15 p.m. ET): Not even Tiger Woods is immune to perils of Shinnecock Hills. The 14-time major champion began his round with a disastrous triple-bogey seven on No. 1. He then bogeyed No. 2 to fall four over after two holes.
UPDATE No. 14 (1:33 p.m. ET): Well, the Mickelson-Spieth-McIlroy group has to be relieved their day is over.
Lefty shoots 7-over 77 and actually has the BEST round. Spieth comes in with 78 and McIlroy fires an 80. That’s a 25-over total for that trio. Brutal.
UPDATE No. 13 (1:15 p.m. ET): Ian Poulter is in with 1-under 69. That means we’ve got two sub-par rounds from the morning wave. That’s probably all we are getting for red numbers from the morning.
A nice 1-under 69 for Ian Poulter to tie for the early clubhouse lead. And he can hardly contain his excitement. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/8pAyXGmjTN — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
As for the big names, here’s a rundown…
Patrick Reed: 3-over 73 (T-37)
Rickie Fowler: 3-over 73 (T-37)
Brooks Koepka: 5-over 75 (T-54)
Bubba Watson: 7-over 77 (T-74)
Phil Mickelson: 7 over through 17 (T-74)
Jordan Spieth: 8 over through 17 (T-80)
Jason Day: 9-over 79 (T-87)
Rory McIlroy: 9 over through 17 (T-87)
Yikes.
UPDATE No. 12 (12:30 p.m. ET): We have a 92 on the board from Scott Gregory. Yep, it’s carnage out here…
https://twitter.com/golfweek/status/1007299023148146688
UPDATE No. 11 (12 p.m. ET): We have a sub-par round!!! No, we’re serious.
Scott Piercy, who was an alternate before getting into the field earlier this week, is in with a 1-under 69 and oh man, what anybody would take for that number today. He’s tied for the lead and one of just two players under par (Ian Poulter, through 14, is at 1 under as well). Piercy is the clubhouse leader by two.
Scott Piercy was an alternate. Scott Piercy is the first player to post a red number in Round 1. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/bGUq5FBzeP — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
UPDATE No. 10 (11:25 a.m. ET): Rory starts his back nine double bogey-bogey. He is now 10 over through 11. He’s second-to-last.
Jordan Spieth is 6 over through 11. Phil Mickelson, at 5 over, is remarkably the best of the group!
Leaders are still 2 under, but only four are under par now.
UPDATE No. 9 (10:50 a.m. ET): Here are some updates…
The lead is still 2 under, with Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar and Calum Hill (of course) tied at the top. Four more at 1 under. Scott Piercy (1 under through 15) is the only player under par through more than nine holes.
As for big names: Aside from Kuch, Justin Rose and Patrick Reed are doing the best at Even par. Brooke Koepka is 2 over through 11 and Rickie Fowler is 2 over through eight.
Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson both open (on the back) in 4-over 39. Bubba Watson is 5 over through 11 and Jason Day is 6 over through the same. Rory McIlroy goes out in 7-over 42 on the back.
Here’s Rory’s U.S. Open in a nutshell thus far…
UPDATE No. 8 (10:10 a.m. ET): We now have a four-way tie for the lead at 2 under.
Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman and Russell Knox are all co-leaders. Six players are under par total.
UPDATE No. 7 (9:40 a.m. ET): This is really starting to get dim for Spieth and Rory.
McIlroy is now 6 over through five, and Spieth is 5 over through five. Unreal. Charley Hoffman has taken over the solo lead by getting out to 2 under through four holes.
UPDATE No. 6 (9:20 a.m. ET): Phil Mickelson is 3 over through four … and the leader in his group.
That’s because Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are both 4 over. That would be a combined 11 over from that trio. Wow.
The lead is 1 under, held by several players including Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka.
UPDATE No. 5 (9:03 a.m. ET): Here’s a rundown where the big names stand so far. Wind is up today, so the scores are brutal so far.
Patrick Reed: 1 under through 4 (T-2)
Brooks Koepka: 1 under through 4 (T-2)
Rickie Fowler: Even through 3 (T-10)
Rory McIlroy: 2 over through 3 (T-38)
Phil Mickelson: 2 over through 3 (T-38)
Jason Day: 3 over through 4 (T-53)
Jordan Spieth: 4 over through 3 (T-60)
UPDATE No. 4 (8:55 a.m. ET): More examples of carnage…
Jason Day is already 3 over through four.
It's been that kind of start for many of the stars this morning. #USOpenhttps://t.co/6NZAT4UPhS pic.twitter.com/ObgSDrl02d — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
UPDATE No. 3 (8:45 a.m. ET): We’ve got some morning updates, and some are gruesome…
Aaron Baddeley leads at 2 under (through four) and Patrick Reed starts birdie-birdie-bogey on the back to tie the lead and then fall one back. Defending champion Brooks Koepka is also 1 under through three (on the front). Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy both are 1 over through two on the back.
The bad… Jordan Spieth starts bogey-triple and is already 4 over. Yikes! Matthew Southgate has 93 yards from the fairway for his second at his opening par-4 10th and makes TRIPLE BOGEY! Yeesh! Scott Stallings has yet to make a par and has a 9 on his card! Stallings starts bogey-bogey-birdie-bogey-quintuple bogey-bogey-birdie and is 7 over. Wow!
UPDATE No. 2 (7 a.m. ET): A reminder that these are the conditions that will face the players today at Shinnecock…
The wind is really whipping at Shinnecock this morning. 15-20 mph from the West/Southwest with gusts to 30. It’s gonna be a wild opening round at the #USOpen. pic.twitter.com/Ukx8a4Os8N — David Dusek (@Golfweek_Dusek) June 14, 2018
UPDATE No. 1 (6:45 a.m. ET): The U.S. Open is now underway!
The 118th #USOpen Championship gets underway with Harold Varner III hitting the first tee shot at Shinnecock Hills. https://t.co/WkMkpEAzvt — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
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