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
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.
Photo
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.
Ian Poulter's tie for second place at the 2008 Open is his best performance at a major champoinship
US Open, first round -1 S Piercy (US), I Poulter (Eng), R Henley (US), D Johnson (US); level J Dufner Selected others:+1 J Rose (Eng), H Stenson (Swe); +2 A Noren (Swe); +3 P Casey (Eng), A Johnston (Eng), R Knox (Sco), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), R Cabrera Bello (Spa); +5 T Hatton (Eng), D Willett (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), S Garcia (Spa), F Molinari (Ita); +6 R Fisher (Eng); +7 M Southgate (Eng), M Wallace (Eng), R Ramsay (Sco);+8 J Spieth (US), R Evans (Eng) P Waring (Eng), T Woods (US) J Rahm (Spa); +9 T Lewis (Eng), Graeme McDowell (NI); +10 H Ellis (Eng), R McIlroy (NI); +22 S Gregory (Eng)
Ian Poulter shares a one-shot lead at the US Open but Rory McIlroy had a first round to forget in strong winds.
England's Poulter shot a 69 to tie with world number one Dustin Johnson, Scott Piercey and Russell Henley on one under at Shinnecock Hills in New York state.
McIlroy had three double bogeys in a 10-over-par 80, while Americans Phil Mickelson (77), Tiger Woods (78) and Jordan Spieth (78) also struggled.
England's Justin Rose, US Open champion in 2013, opened with a one-over 71.
Only the four leaders bettered par with American Jason Dufner heading the chasing pack at level par after a testing first round in difficult conditions on Long Island.
There were 200 double bogeys or worse on day one - compared to 212 for the entire tournament in 2017 - as players faced a combination of wind, punishing rough and testing pin positions. The field's combined score was more than 1,000 over par.
Fresh from winning last week's St Jude Classic, Johnson had progressed to three under after 11 to challenge the clubhouse lead held by early starters Poulter and Piercey, but the American dropped two shots on the back nine.
"In conditions like this you know par on every hole is a good score," said Johnson. "To play a real solid round in tough conditions, I am very proud of myself."
Johnson and Woods had wildly differing rounds on day one at Shinnecock Hills
Three-time US Open champion Woods rallied to stay in contention after starting with a triple-bogey seven and a bogey at the second. He steadied his round with a birdie and seven pars but successive double bogeys on the back nine wrecked his card.
"I didn't putt well. I drove it pretty good for most of the day, just never took advantage of the opportunities," said the 42-year-old.
Patient Poulter pleased
Chasing a first major success, Poulter holed three birdies, including after hitting the pin with his tee shot on the short 11th. He impressively shipped just two bogeys on a day when the average score was more than 76.
The 42-year-old made his US Open debut at Shinnecock Hills, but missed the cut in 2004 after finishing the first two rounds on six over.
"I didn't enjoy it at all, I have to say," he recalled of his first visit.
"I haven't enjoyed very many US Opens, to be honest. They're difficult, they're hot, they're stressful. It feels like you're pulling teeth every single hole you play.
"I've changed my mindset. I'm here to enjoy my golf this week, to play freely. If I hit it in the rough, I hit it in the rough. I'm going to try and make par the hard way. It's difficult for everyone. Today is just a good day, and I've got three tough days left."
Worst opening round for McIlroy
Rory McIlroy, who visited the rough regularly in round one, is trying to win a first major since 2014
Four-time major champion McIlroy said he was hopeful a lengthy preparation process would help his chances of winning a second US Open title.
But any benefit from 18 out of 19 days of practice after finishing tied for eighth at the Memorial Tournament at the start of June quickly faded.
McIlroy, starting at the 10th, opened with a par, but was six over after five holes and seven over at halfway.
That became 10 over after 11, and despite successive birdies on the fifth and sixth, two further dropped shots on his last two holes saw the world number six card his worst opening round in a major championship.
It was McIlroy's third 80 in a major and leaves him in danger of missing Friday's halfway cut at the US Open for a third consecutive year.
Englishmen (a few Scots and a Northern Irishman) in New York
Rose and caddie Mark Fulcher plotted their way round Shinnecock Hills in fine fashion
World number three Rose missed just one fairway during his first round, which included two birdies.
"I didn't quite realise how good a 71 was until I got in. A lot of big name players are struggling," said the Englishman.
Compatriots Paul Casey, Andrew Johnston and Matthew Fitzpatrick and Scotland's Russell Knox all opened with respectable rounds of 73.
Tyrrell Hatton, 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and Tommy Fleetwood shot 75, as did Scotland's Calum Hill, who, playing his first US Open, was briefly tied for the lead on two under early in his round.
Ross Fisher finished at six over, Matthew Southgate, Matthew Wallace and Richie Ramsay at seven over and Ryan Evans and Paul Waring at eight over.
Tom Lewis, Graeme McDowell and James Morrison were at nine over, amateur Harry Ellis matched McIlroy's 80 and Scottish amateur Ryan Lumsden finished at 12 over.
Scott Gregory props up the field after two triple bogeys, three doubles, 10 bogeys and three pars added up to +22.
Decent reading for captain Bjorn
With September's Ryder Cup starting to loom, captain Thomas Bjorn will want to see his European players challenging in the majors.
Sweden's Henrik Stenson is joined at one over by little-known world number 213 Matthieu Pavon from France, with Alex Noren well placed at two over.
Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello ended three over with playing partner and compatriot Sergio Garcia (75) also well in contention. However, the third Spaniard in the group, Jon Rahm, shot 78 after missing a two-foot putt on the last to finish with a double bogey.
Analysis
BBC Radio 5 live golf commentator Iain Carter, at Shinnecock Hills
Precision and patience are the prerequisites for Shinnecock Hills, especially in such breezy conditions.
McIlroy was bereft of the former, hitting only five greens in regulation. His usual strength off the tee deserted him. Out of position so frequently, it was impossible to make a competitive start.
By contrast Poulter missed only three fairways and maintained control of his ball throughout a superbly composed round to provide the best US Open start of his career.
SOUTHAMPTION, N.Y. -- Dustin Johnson shot a 1-under 69 in Round 1 of the 2018 U.S. Open, which was seven strokes better than the field average and good enough to share the lead. Joining him atop the leaderboard after 18 holes of play at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club are Scott Piercy, Russell Henley and Ian Poulter.
Johnson shot a semi-wild 33 on the front nine (see more below) before closing with a 1-over 36 on the back for the 69. It might not look like much, but on a day when conditions combined with some mega-tucked pins, Johnson's 1-under score is stout. Even more so given that, you know, he's the No. 1 player in the world.
"I'm very pleased with the round," said Johnson. "Anything under par on this golf course is very good, especially in the conditions we have today. I felt like, you know, from start to finish, it was very difficult."
Just as every Masters runs through Jordan Spieth, I believe every U.S. Open runs through D.J. He seems to possess whatever clandestine quality it is that a golfer needs to win major championships and slay courses the magnitude of Oakmont (2016) and Shinnecock (2018). He does everything. He has every answer.
And on Thursday, he got a couple of terrific breaks.
First, on the par-4 6th hole, just after making two straight birdies, Johnson let his drive release into some fescue so tall that it might conceal one of his two toddlers. As a mass of people searched for the ball, somebody stepped on it and Johnson got a free drop. A bogey there could have been (a lot) worse. Then at the par-4 8th, Johnson hit a lousy approach after playing partners Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods stuck theirs to within birdie range. Johnson, though, was the only one who made birdie when he holed out from the bunker. It's rare that his shot would be the only one of the three rewarded, but that's how Round 1 went for him.
Of course, he also hit some absolute missiles, which led to stress-free pars, a nice luxury on a day like Thursday when the wind howled and the greens baked. Now he's in control of the tournament. He's a heavy Las Vegas favorite to take his U.S. Open in three years, and while there's still a long way to go, Johnson doesn't have many thoroughbreds running with him. He might not win this week, but it's pretty easy to see him winning.
Every aspect of D.J.'s game impresses -- he's No. 1 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained overall for a reason -- but his short game was especially magnificent on Thursday. Playing with one of the better short-game wizards on the PGA Tour (Thomas) and one of the better short-game players ever (Woods), D.J. shined. He only hit nine greens in regulation and still kept it under par. That's how you win majors.
You could feel the buzz, too. D.J. taking Oakmont an Shinnecock in three years? Is that really going to happen? The good folks in attendance in Round 1 could sense him rising up the leaderboard as the tournament unfurled in front of them.
As I walked one of the great courses in the country, a laid-back Southampton crowd prodded Johnson, Thomas and Woods. In a tuft of silence, I heard one fan gasp as D.J. swaggered past.
"When God created man, he created that. That's Adam."
No, that's Dustin. And he co-leads the U.S. Open.
Here's nine more thoughts on Round 1 on Thursday.
1. Tiger's first since 2015: It went a little worse than I expected for Big Cat on Thursday. He shot a 78, but he only really hit two or three terrible shots. Unfortunately for him, hitting two or three terrible shots at a U.S. Open at Shinnecock is like hitting 12 or 13 somewhere else. I'm always amazed at how thin the margins are, and it really speaks to how good your short game has to be (see: Johnson, Dustin).
2. Early ejections: My flight to Long Island got in at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, so I was a little late getting to the course. By the time I got there, the trio of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson was 13 over through five holes and more or less ejected from the championship. It settled down (?) from there, and they played the final 13 holes in "just" 12 over. All three are in danger of missing the cut. Welcome to the the 2018 U.S. Open!
3. Stat of the day: How about this one from Phil Mickelson? He hit 13 (!) of 14 fairways (Phil Mickelson!) and still shot a 77. Phil Mickelson hit every fairway except for one and could not crack 75 at a U.S. Open!
Today was the 16th time. https://t.co/NFeiqSszb0 — Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) June 14, 2018
4. Scott Piercy is near the lead because golf is weird: Piercy couldn't even finish a practice round, and then he went out and beat the field average at a U.S. Open by seven strokes with a 1-under 69 in the first round. "Yesterday, I walked off the golf course after four holes because I was so frustrated with my preparation," said Piercy. "I was skanking it, and I lost like five balls in the first four holes. I'm like, 'I'm outta here.' ... I didn't really expect this this morning. Just kind of regrouped last night, tried to go back to a couple things that have worked throughout the year. I was able to kind of piece it together again."
Golf!
5. Importance of positioning: It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a 156-player field can get whittled down to a realistic 15-20 golfers. Of course, somebody could come from 10 back, but it's highly improbable, especially with stability in Johnson atop the leaderboard. The following is one of my favorite stats every year as it relates to the Masters, and it applies to the U.S. Open as well. You almost have to be within striking distance of whatever the lead is after 18 holes, even if it feels like there's still a ton of golf left to be played.
Good morning from Shinnecock Hills. 17 of the previous 19 #USOpen champions were at/within 4 of the lead after the opening round. — Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) June 14, 2018
6. How tough the course was playing: The stats are pretty incredible. Doubles, in theory, always seem difficult to make from the middle of the fairway for the best players in the world. The U.S. Open makes them look quite straightforward. The U.S. Open makes you wonder how guys ever make par.
Scoring average: 76.5
Players under par: 4 (of 156)
Holes playing to an under par average: 2
Double bogeys or worse: 1.3 per player
Field total over par: +1,010
Golfers in the 80s: 29
We'll get to why this was happening in just a minute, but I was fascinated that it was happening. After last year's Greater Milwaukee Open impression at Erin Hills where 16 under won the golf tournament, you knew the USGA would tighten things up. Even though I'm a proponent of par as a social construct and loudly said so last year at Erin, I thoroughly enjoyed the carnage on Day 1 at Shinnecock. In many ways, this is America's answer to a wicked tough Open Championship in nasty weather. This course doesn't need the weather to be hard, though, and that's why it's such a world class test of skill.
Thursday's first-round scoring average (76.48) is the highest at the #USOpen since 1986 (77.87).
Both rounds were played at Shinnecock Hills. pic.twitter.com/ObPo29MsYs — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 15, 2018
"You know, it's a U.S. Open," said reigning champion Brooks Koepka. "You can shoot ... 5 over today and shoot 1 under tomorrow and be just fine going into the weekend. So I'm not too concerned."
Maybe he should be. Maybe the USGA is just getting warmed up.
7. Why the course was so tough: It was really, really windy today. That's the primary reason a course that was playing mostly benign for the last week became wicked tough in a hurry on Thursday.
"It takes every mistake you make, and it just makes it all worse, said Charles Howell III, who shot a 1-over 71. "And with these corner hole locations, just off of crowns ... it's really difficult to get the ball close. So you find yourself playing defensive golf quite a lot. You've got certain doglegs and crosswinds going against that, it's really difficult to keep the ball actually in the fairway. With these U.S. Open setups, it's hard to recover. I mean, you're never really playing aggressively out here. It's all about saving yourself."
Justin Rose and several others added that it's really the greens that make scoring so difficult.
"If you play really good golf, you're still a bit on the defensive side," said Rose. "I hit so many putts today, you're trying to make the putt but you're trying not to knock it four foot by. Around the cup, there are so many changes of slope. So you can be putting uphill all the way to the hole, but two or three feet after the hole, it goes up and over and away. So very tough to judge the speed."
A thick wind combined with a tough setup that Howell said he was surprised didn't create more oscillating balls on the greens created conditions that resulted in 152 of 156 players in the field to shoot over par.
8. The lurkers: Guys who we could be looking back on late on Sunday and saying, "Man, how good was that score on Thursday to stay in the tournament and give himself a shot on the weekend?"
Justin Rose: 71
Henrik Stenson: 71
Brandt Snedeker: 72
Jason Dufner: 72
Xander Schauffele: 72
Rickie Fowler: 73
Paul Casey: 73
Patrick Reed: 73
Justin Thomas: 74
Matt Kuchar: 74
Louis Oosthuizen: 74
Marc Leishman: 74
"I'm aware of the big picture of this tournament, I think, and I think I knew what today was all about," said Rose after his 71. "It was about hanging in there. If I'd shot 72 or 73, it would be a good day's work as well. Today is about eliminating a bad round, and I think it's turned into a really positive start."
9. Top 10 struggles: The top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings were a combined 52 over on Thursday at Shinnecock. I was wrong about this track, I guess. I thought it would produce a leaderboard littered with stars and superstars. There are a few, but not as many as I thought there would be.
