No. 18: Rocky Round 1 Ends With a Par Putt
A nice chip shot on 18 came close to going in. But, alas, Woods needed to take out his putter one last time, tapping in for a 78 with his 30th putt of what became a very long day.
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The putter let him down, most notably on the first and the 13th hole, but also at various points throughout. He could not deliver on makable birdie looks available because of how well he was striking the ball early on. He hit six of seven fairways on the front nine but only three of seven on the back as his round fell apart.
On the bright side, his score is the same as Jordan Spieth’s, and he outplayed Rory McIlroy (+10). But there is little consolation for Woods after his first round in the U.S. Open since 2015.
No. 17: Same Story, Different Hole
A 40-foot birdie putt for Woods on the par-3 17th missed by a few feet, and he heads to the final hole hoping to get off this treacherous course without more damage done. His pal, Justin Thomas, isn’t having much fun out here either. He’s now three-over on the back.
No. 16: Sand Save Sets Up Birdie Try
On the 620-yard par-5 16th, Woods delivered a nice drive and then made a nice sand save after his second shot to set himself up with an uphill birdie look from a little over 10 feet.
He wanted it. He needed it. He missed it.
He’s plus-eight as he goes to the final two holes.
No. 15: Tiger Saves Par But Needs More
Tiger Woods saves par on the 15th after recovering from another imperfect tee shot that went into the first cut of the rough. With three holes left, he is desperate for something to spark for him. He remains at eight-over.
No. 14: Back-to-Back Double Bogeys for Woods
It has gone from bad to worse for Tiger.
On the 14th, a horrendous tee shot landed him way deep in the fescue. He then yanked a shot into the gallery short and way left of the green, deep in more fescue. He couldn’t reach the green from there, so he had to hack out and salvage what he could. Unfortunately, he missed a 10-foot bogey putt to settle for his second consecutive double.
His demeanor, rightly, has taken a 180-degree turn south.
No. 13: ... And There Goes the Momentum
It was a very unlucky 13th for Tiger Woods.
A brutal four-putt — including three putts from within six feet — has dropped Woods into a tie for 82nd at six-over par and killed any momentum he had gathered after recovering from a triple bogey to start his round.
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Woods was looking at a six-foot putt for par and spent a lot of time analyzing how to navigate it. His putt wound up skating past the hole by a few feet. But when he missed that comebacker, he gripped the putter face in his right hand and looked like he was close to snapping the club across his knee. That’s just a killer for Tiger, who had worked so hard to get himself back to within striking distance.
No. 12: Tiger Waiting for the Perfect Putt
After a nice drive and a short approach, Tiger burned the edge with a putt from off the green to finish with a par at the 12th. He continues to look great off the tee (7 of 9 fairways hit) but is waiting for a clutch putt to finally fall.
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No. 11: Back to Bogey
They call it a par-3 that plays like a par-5. And while Dustin Johnson drained his lengthy putt for his fourth birdie of the day, taking him to three-under par, Tiger Woods couldn’t make a sand save after his tee shot fell short. So he drops his first stroke since the second hole, now at four-over par.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
The 118th U.S. Open unfolds this weekend across four days at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. It’s the fifth time the club has hosted America’s national championship.
The tournament first visited these grounds in 1896, the year of the second U.S. Open ever, and has since returned in 1986, 1995, 2004, and now 2018. The course has been a consistently challenging test for the world’s best players and should be again this year. Its fairways are about 15 yards wider than they were in ‘04, but the track is still difficult.
This year’s 156-man field includes all of the world’s best players and biggest names. It includes 12 past U.S. Open champions, with Tiger Woods headlining. Woods is playing in this event for the first time since an injury-addled effort led to him missing the cut at Chambers Bay in 2015. He seeks his first U.S. Open win (and major win of any kind) since 2008, when he beat Rocco Mediate in a dramatic playoff at Torrey Pines. But a bad Thursday, when he shot an 8-over 78, has put those plans in real jeopardy.
Throughout the tournament, we’ll update this post with scores, highlights, observations, and more from Shinnecock Hills.
Leaderboard and updates from Thursday
All times are Eastern.
8:36 p.m.
The first round is over. The official leaderboard is here. The top 13, with co-leaders Dustin Johnson, Scott Piercy, Ian Poulter, and Russell Henley:
The course was brutally hard. More from Brendan Porath:
Thursday’s test at the U.S. Open should be praised simply for being entertaining. Not for nostalgia. And it wasn’t entertaining because it was difficult, but the way it was difficult. The U.S. Open does not need a certain identity to be valuable. It can be many different things and many different kinds of tests. Justin Thomas losing his mind and posting a new scoring record last year at Erin Hills was entertaining to watch, and so was Thursday. Both can be the U.S. Open. This was appealing in the way that watching a boxer catch a big uppercut is fun to watch but it’s probably not something you’d want to do yourself. It cannot be overstated how perfect a day it was to watch golf. There was not a single cloud until late in the day, the temperature rested below 80, and the wind provided a natural AC — if you got a little toasty, just head to some of the holes on higher ground where the breeze was whipping. The wind was having that affect on the high fescue where it looked like uniform waves rolling onto a shore. It was delightful!
7:15 p.m.
The marquee group is in, and your final scores are:
Dustin Johnson: -1
Justin Thomas: +3
Tiger Woods: +8
Johnson is currently tied for first, while Woods is going to have to hustle to make it to the championship rounds this weekend.
6:35 p.m.
Russell Henley’s day is done, and though he finished with a bogey on the 18th hole, his 69 makes him one of only three golfers to return to the clubhouse with a round on the happy side of par. He’s currently part of a four-way tie for first place.
5:45 p.m.
A bogey on the 11th hole and double-bogey on the 13th has Tiger Woods in trouble. The three-time champion is now +6, and could be in danger of missing the cut come Friday night.
5:25 p.m.
It remains Dustin Johnson and Russell Henley at the top, though Johnson’s group mate Justin Thomas could be putting himself in position to make a move.
4:50 p.m.
Poor, poor Graeme McDowell.
Golf is great sometimes pic.twitter.com/BuZhpbvjHR — Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) June 14, 2018
4:42 p.m.
Russell Henley’s gonna get in on all this chip-in action. His birdie on the 12 hole brought him into a tie for first with Dustin Johnson.
Somebody must have told @RussHenleyGolf about DJ's holed bunker shot. The two are now tied at the top. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/43M8CfrzDS — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
4:02 p.m.
Jason Dufner’s sixth-hole birdie put him in first place...for about three minutes. That’s when Dustin Johnson spun a possible bogey into gold with a hole out from the eighth hole bunker.
3:30 p.m.
Dustin Johnson’s hot streak came to an end on the sixth hole when his tee shot found knee-high fescue to the left of the fairway. It took a search team of about a dozen people — including Tiger Woods — to find his plugged ball.
Hero Tiger Woods helping Dustin Johnson find his ball in this nut high rough.. Such a good mid round PR Move by the pic.twitter.com/3fBGhkdOOc — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 14, 2018
After a drop, Johnson took the safe play and punched out to the fairway. He’d bogey the hole — but a Russell Henley double bogey would leave him tied for the lead at -1 early in his opening round.
3:17 p.m.
Dustin Johnson just rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt to move to -2 through five holes. That’s bad news for the rest of the field. Tiger Woods also birdied the fifth, pushing him down to +3 for the day.
3:01 p.m.
Russell Henley is the first man to hit -3 today. That gives him a one-stroke advantage over Brian Gay — and two over Dustin Johnson, who drained a fourth-hole birdie putt to announce his arrival at Shinnecock Hills.
2:40 p.m.
Another bogey has Tiger Woods at +4 through three holes. The rest of his marquee group — Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas — is faring better early on. Johnson is even, while Thomas is just two strokes off the lead at +1.
2:05 p.m.
Oh no, Tiger Woods. A too-long approach set up a par putt from well off the green, and the three-time champion couldn’t find his range as his stroke carried three-quarters of the way up the hill...and then rolled back to a spot five feet from where he’d started.
Those are some unforgiving greens. He’d eventually hole out for triple-bogey, starting his day at +3.
1:47 p.m.
Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open is officially underway. He’s playing in the marquee group alongside Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.
1:45 p.m.
Rafa Cabrera Bello put his name on top of the leaderboard in dramatic fashion with this outstanding, over-the-trap chip-in.
The Spanish Armada is proving its strength in the air and on the ground. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/UMd7vxmT6B — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
1:33 p.m.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Phil Mickelson have completed their respective first rounds, and it’s...not good. The trio combined for a +25 on the day. Mickelson was the best of the group at +7, while Spieth limped home at +8. McIlroy’s 80 tied his career-worst score at a major event.
Both Mickelson & McIlroy blew off the media after their rounds. Spieth chatted with a group of us while on his way to player dining. Phil did stop to talk with some potential design clients. Rory vanished so quick he may have apparated like a wizard outside the walls of Hogwarts. — Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) June 14, 2018
12:59 p.m.
He’s played exactly one hole, but Brian Gay can officially say he’s led the U.S. Open, even if his time at the top is brief.
Wow, Brian Gay has made birdie on 100 percent of the holes he's played. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/9JISbQy2Wo — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
Three other first-hole birdies — from Ryan Evans, Ted Potter, and amateur (and SEC male golfer of the year) Theo Humphrey — has created a brief six-way logjam at the top of the leaderboard.
12:26 p.m.
Just how nutty is today’s opening round? Well...
Jason Day and Rory McIlroy are currently only besting a full-time NHL ref and Scott Gregory, who turned in a 92. @usopengolf — Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) June 14, 2018
12:08 p.m.
Scott Piercy is the first man to walk back to the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse with a red number. He finished his day at -1, tying him for the lead with Ian Poulter. Poulter’s having himself a solid day — even if he isn’t totally happy with the results.
11:52 a.m.
Patrick Reed is only two shots off the lead after absolutely burying a 60-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole. Please ignore the U.S. Open’s terrible pun in the following tweet.
Patrick had the correct Reed on this one. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/4ndm32dhOK — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
11:27 a.m.
The Jordan Spieth-Rory McIlroy-Phil Mickelson group just finished the par-3 second hole...with three bogeys. That featured trio is now a combined +21 after 11 holes at Shinnecock Hills.
11:21 a.m.
Justin Rose is hanging around the top of the leaderboard, thanks in part to this sand save that kept him at even through 13 holes.
11:05 a.m.
Calum Hill gave the two shots from his fifth-hole eagle right back with a sixth-hole double bogey. Matt Kuchar now stands alone atop the leaderboard at -2.
10:53 a.m.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick is making a run at the top spot early in Southhampton. He stuck his approach shot at the par-4 eighth hole within six inches of the cup to move to -1 on the day — just one shot off the lead.
Those leaders include Calum Hill, whose fifth-hole eagle has him in a three-way tie for first.
10:28 a.m.
The most picturesque shot of the day so far:
Scott Piercy found the cup from 81.5 feet out on the par-4 12th hole.
9:59 a.m.
Rory McIlroy’s start — +6 over the first five holes — was endemic of the early struggles at Shinnecock Hills, but his rally may have just begun on the 15th hole. His birdie there was the first for a grouping that also includes Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth. Together, that trio is a combined +13 through six holes.
It's been a tough start for @McIlRoyRory, but this will help. Watch live on @FS1! pic.twitter.com/yeJAJPzJ5Y — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
9:41 a.m.
The leader at this early moment is Charley Hoffman, who’s played to 2-under over his first four holes. Hoffman just made birdie at the par-4 13th after sticking an approach shot 12 feet away and draining his putt. Hoffman’s never gotten that close to winning a major, but he’s been competitive in these events before. He finished ninth in last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills. Hoffman’s one of just six players under par. There are 59 players over par.
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
9:07 a.m.
The thing to know early: Shinnecock Hills is brutal:
After the first two hours of play Thursday, the course was being mean. Ten players were under par, and 33 were over in the early going. Some of the ugliest results were coming from guys you’ve never heard of, but not all of them. Jordan Spieth started his day by bogeying the par-4 10th hole and then making triple on the par-3 11th, a 157-yard uphill hole with a tough green area. On that hole, Spieth flew his tee shot into a green-side bunker to the right of the hole, wedged out to beyond the green, came up short with a pitch attempt that rolled back to him, and two-putted for his triple-bogey. Spieth was plus-4 through two holes. The ugliest single thing that happened in the early-going: someone making a 9 on the brutal, 536-yard par-4 14th hole. Five hundred thirty-six yards! A par-4! That’s a lot even for the best players in the world, all of whom are in this 156-man field. The world’s No. 155 player is an American named Scott Stallings. He hit his tee shot about 300 yards, but lost it into some of the tall grass just to the right of the fairway. After hacking out to 135 yards from the flagstick, Stallings hit an approach shot that skidded off the back of the green and required him to pitch back up.
Hole locations for Friday
We’ll add them here as soon as the USGA releases them.
Streaming and TV channels on Friday
Streaming: USOpen.com and the U.S. Open app, which is on the App Store, Google Play, and the like. Plus FOX Sports GO and the FOX Sports app after 10 a.m. ET.
TV: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m ET on FS1, 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Tee times on Friday
All times are Eastern. Here’s the full list, and here are some big names:
First hole
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10th hole
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To reduce bottlenecking and get more players onto the course at once, the USGA uses a split-tee setup on Thursday and Friday. Everyone tees off No. 1 on Saturday and Sunday, after much of the field has been cut.
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.
7:10 p.m.: Tiger Woods gets up and down to save par on No. 18 to post an opening 78. It's not good, but it's an improvement from the 80 he shot on Thursday at Chambers Bay in his last U.S. Open appearance. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson also gets up and down for par to shoot 69 and remain in a share of the lead. Thomas settles for par after missing a good look at birdie. He finishes the middle man of this pairing with 74. If we're comparing the two marquee groups, this one -- a combined 11 over -- dominated the morning threesome of Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth (25 over). That was fun, huh?! Let's do it again tomorrow!
7:03 p.m.: After a 422-yard (yep, that's correct) drive by Justin Thomas on No. 18, he hits a nice approach to set up a good chance at a closing birdie. However, a bit earlier Dean Burmester did even better on the same hole after a long drive of his own:
7:00 p.m.: Dufner gives himself a tap-in birdie (good thing) on the par-5 16th and he moves back to even par. He's been joined at that number by Byeong Hun An, who recently lost in a playoff at the Memorial.
6:37 p.m.: After three solid shots, Woods leaves himself with a 6-footer for birdie on the par-5 16th and. . . misses. Obviously. He's had his adventures at Shinnecock on Thursday, but he's also missed a bunch of makable putts (Yes, some of those have been for bogey, but they still count).
6:22 p.m.: Remember that, um, less-than-ideal putting stroke that cost Jason Dufner dearly at the end of the Players ? Well, it just showed up again on a 3-footer for par on No. 14. With the bogey, Dufner drops back to even par.
6:10 p.m.: Russell Henley had a great chance to post the first round of 68 or better, but he missed an 8-footer for par on 18 and settles for 69. Henley joins Ian Poulter and Scott Piercy in the clubhouse at that number. Dustin Johnson and Jason Dufner are also at one under late in their opening rounds.
5:55 p.m.: Warm up the yacht. Woods makes it back-to-back double bogeys to drop to eight over. Suddenly, there's a better chance he doesn't break 80 than he contends this week at Shinnecock.
5:34 p.m.: If Tiger's 10-year major drought is going to end this week, Woods is going to have to do something really special the rest of the way. An opening triple bogey put him in an early hole, but his double bogey on 13 might be more stunning. Woods had a 30-foot birdie putt after two solid shots before a disastrous four-putt. He's now six over.
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. Oh, and Gregory got a photo with Tiger Woods so it's still been a good week.
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 2002. 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.
Tiger Woods' return to the U.S. Open was a little less successful than he might have hoped.
Tiger was tied for 103rd after finishing his day 8 over par. To be fair, only four players were under par by the time Tiger had finished, but blustery conditions on the already-difficult course made for a rough outing.
MORE: What's next for on Tiger's 2018 PGA schedule?
The #USOpen return of @TigerWoods got off to a rocky start. One in which he never fully recovered. pic.twitter.com/GeKMgqxmFK — U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 14, 2018
Tiger started the day with a triple bogey on Hole 1, followed by another bogey on Hole 2 before managing a birdie on Hole 7 and finishing the front nine only 3 over. That would be the last highlight he had in Round 1, as he suffered a bogey and two double bogeys in the back nine — a performance that demands a complete 180 if he wants to make the weekend cut.
Recapping Tiger's first round at the U.S. Open:
Tiger Woods' score: Round 1
U.S. Open
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Hole (Par) Tiger's score (Overall) Place 1 (4) 7 (3-over) T-46 2 (4) 5 (4-over) T-60 3 (4) 4 (4-over) T-70 4 (4) 4 (4-over) T-75 5 (5) 4 (3-over) T-67 6 (4) 4 (3-over) T-58 7 (3) 3 (3-over) T-51 8 (4) 4 (3-over) T-48 9 (4) 4 (3-over) T-42 10 (4) 4 (3-over) T-40 11 (3) 4 (4-over) T-50 12 (4) 4 (4-over) T-45 13 (4) 6 (6-over) T-81 14 (4) 6 (8-over) T-112 15 (4) 4 (8-over) T-110 16 (5) 5 (8-over) T-106 17 (3) 3 (8-over) T-108 18 (4) 4 (8-over) T-103
HOLE 18: Par 4, 485 yards
First putt: PAR
Third shot:A good chip shot lands him 2 feet from par.
Approach: Tiger's short of the green but at least manages to clear the hill in front of the fairway. He'll have a decent shot at par.
Tee shot: Tiger gets a good whack at it off the tee but it goes too far right and lands in the rough.
HOLE 17: Par 3, 175 yards
Second putt: PAR
First putt:Tiger's lag putt finishes about a foot from par.
Tee shot: Tiger lands on the green about 40 feet from the mark and avoids the right-side slope on his upcoming birdie putt attempt.
HOLE 16: Par 5, 616 yards
Second putt: PAR
First putt:Tiger can only smile and shake his head. He misses the 10-foot par just right.
Third shot: Great shot out of the bunker lands TIger about 10 feet from birdie.
Approach: He's in the right-side bunker, but that's not the worst place to be on the par-5. An up-and-down gets hiim a birdie.
Tee shot: Tiger booms it straight down the middle. Great stuff, especially considering this is a par-5 hole.
HOLE 15: Par 4, 409 yards
First putt: PAR
Third shot:Good chip shot gets Tiger within an inch of par.
Second shot: He's short of the green and will need an up-and-down for par.
Tee shot: Tiger's left of the fairway but within working distance (122 yards) of the green.
HOLE 14: Par 4, 519 yards
Sixth shot: DOUBLE BOGEY
Fifth shot: It lips out to the left. He'll have a foot for double bogey.
Fourth shot: Tiger's on the green now with about 8 feet for bogey. Really, really needs this one.
Third shot: Good news: Tiger's on the fairway. Bad news: He'd have to hole out for par.
Second shot: From worse to terrible. He shanks it way left into the gallery. A bogey seems ... highly plausible.
Tee shot: From bad to worse. Tiger doesn't like the shot as soon as he made contact. It goes right, landing in the fescue on the steep grade.
HOLE 13: Par 4, 374 yards
Fourth putt: DOUBLE BOGEY
Third putt:It lips out. Four-putt double bogey upcoming and that's just a killer.
Second putt: That was right of the mark the whole time. It scoots
First putt: Another long putt that had no chance. He has a 5-foot par attempt coming up.
Approach: Tiger gets on the green, but it lands dead on the far side. He'll have a long look at birdie, and will likely need to settle for par.
Tee shot: Tiger finds the fairway again, no problem. Onward.
HOLE 12: Par 4, 469 yards
Second putt: PAR
First putt:Wow, Tiger's 30-foot putt for birdie fell an inch short of the mark. That's rough, but a great attempt regardless.
Approach: Tiger had a decent look at that but the ball is just short of the green, on the fringe, on the slope. Let's see how he handles this.
Tee shot: A beautiful tee shot goes long and lands on the right side of the fairway. Could make that bogey back here just based off that shot.
HOLE 11: Par 3, 159 yards
Second putt: BOGEY
First putt:That putt had no chance. Stopped a couple feet short of the mark and Tiger is back up to 4-over at least.
Second shot: He's out of the bunker and onto the green but has a lengthy putt (18 feet) to salvage par. Don't know if he'll sink it from this distance.
Tee shot: Tiger's shot lands in the greenside bunker where he'll have to work to save par.
HOLE 10: Par 4, 415 yards
Fourth shot: After pausing to seek a ruling on whether the wind moved the ball (it's still very windy) Tiger manages to get it to trickle in for par. Tricky. PAR
Third shot:A fantastic chip shot up the steep grade lands about a foot from the pin. Incredible shot there that will save him par.
Second shot: Tiger didn't like that from the outset. The ball is well short of the green to the left, and he'll need an up-and-down to salvage par.
Tee shot: Not an ideal start on the always-tough Hole 10. His ball goes just right of the fairway, into the rough on a slope.
Halftime stats: 6/7 fairways, 4/9 GIR, 14 putts. Currently 5 shots off the lead. — Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) June 14, 2018
HOLE 9: Par 4, 485 yards
Second putt: And he makes it to finish 3-over par through the front nine. PAR
First putt: A good effort on the long birdie attempt breaks just a bit too early and trickles a foot past the mark. He'll have a decent look for par.
Approach: Tiger's on the green but overshot the pin a bit with a heavy wind at his back. He'll have a birdie attempt fromn 20-plus feet.
Tee shot: Another boomer lands on the fairway.
HOLE 8: Par 4, 439 yards
Second putt: PAR
First putt: Tiger misses it just left of the mark and will settle for the tap-in par.
Approach: Tiger uses the iron from 110 yards out and lands about 15 feet from pay dirt.
Tee shot: Tiger booms it off the tee and gets it to roll a good distance as well along the fairway. He's played well ever since that disastrous start.
HOLE 7: Par 3, 189 yards
FIrst putt: PAR
Approach: Tiger hits a bump and run that lands about a foot from the hole. He should walk it in for par.
Tee shot: Tiger's tee lands on the green and trickles off to the fringe.
HOLE 6: Par 4, 491 yards
Second putt: PAR
First putt: Tiger's putt cuts just a bit too early, falling a half a foot left of the mark. He'll walk it in for par.
Approach: Tiger uses the iron to land on the green about 18 feet from birdie. That'd be massive after his start today.
Tee shot: Another booming tee shot from Tiger.
HOLE 5: Par 5, 589 yards
First putt: And he sinks it, a much-needed birdie as he makes his way through the rest of the course. BIRDIE
Third shot: A nice chip shot lands Tiger about 5 feet from birdie. Needs to make that on the easiest hole of the course.
Second shot: Tiger's approach with the iron falls just short of the green from 259 yards out. He'll have a shot at an up-and-down birdie here.
Tee shot: Tiger hits the fairway. He moves forward.
HOLE 4: Par 4, 475 yards
Fourth shot: PAR
Third shot: Good approach to the pin, and Tiger has par from about a foot out. Making chicken salad with a couple bad breaks here on the fourth.
Approach: Tiger lands on the green but put too much on it. It traverses it in its entirety and rolls down the hill into the rough.
Tee shot: Tiger's tee lands just inside the cut on the fairway but rolls down the slope into the right rough.
HOLE 3: Par 4, 500 yards
Second putt: He makes it, and that feels like a win after Holes 2 and 3. PAR
First putt: Tiger's on the green now within a couple feet of the hole. He should walk it in from here for par.
Approach: Tiger hits the left of the green, it rolls downhill just into the fringe — but still very much in birdie distance. Could be an opportunity to get one back.
Tee shot: Couldn't ask for a better tee shoot. He booms it 300 yards and it catches a slope and rolls another 50 along the right side of the fairway. He'll have a fantastic look at the green from here.
HOLE 2: Par 3, 252 yards
Third putt: BOGEY
Second putt: And he misses a sure make for par. Another bogey upcoming from tap-in distance.
First putt: Tiger gets a good putt, and the ball stops about a yard from pay dirt for par.
Tee shot: Tiger hits the green, but the ball catches the slope and it rolls off. Need an up-and-down, lest he starts the day 4-over.
HOLE 1: Par 4, 399 yards
Seventh shot: TRIPLE BOGEY
Sixth shot: He misses it. Triple bogey upcoming.
Fifth shot: Tiger nearly does just that, but the ball rolls by an inch right of the mark. He'll need to make a 6-footer for bogey.
Fourth shot: Tiger pulls out the putter but fails to hit the green — again. Not good.
Third shot: That's a big error by Tiger. Gets it on the green but doesn't give it enough — the ball rolls down the hill again and he's looking at a bogey unless he can hole out.
Approach: Tiger gets a good look at the green but overshoots it. The ball trails down the hill and he'll need an up-and-down for par here.
Tee shot: And Tiger starts off by hammering the ball down the center of the fairway with the iron. Off we go.
U.S. Open live updates: Round 1
Live U.S. Open updates
