Pinehurst, North Carolina | June 16, 2024
The U.S. Open is a unique golf creature. It’s that gym teacher who makes you climb the ropes you don’t want to climb, the interviewer who asks the piercing questions, the water that finds the cracks in your walls. If the Masters is a Rolls-Royce, the PGA Championship a high-end SUV and the Open Championship a best-in-class Mercedes, the U.S. Open is an oversized pickup truck that’s as sturdy as a barbell and just as hard to bend.
Place the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and it can feel as tough as the slog back from a long day at the beach, sand stuck to places it shouldn’t stick, a heavy cooler in one hand and an overtired youngster in the other.
Thursday was one of those days. Anyone anticipating carnage was disappointed. Pinehurst and the USGA allowed for a soft opening, a handshake that was firm but not knuckle-crunching. Unless a thunderstorm crashes the party, Thursday was probably as benign of a day as there will be in this U.S. Open.
As opening chapters go, this one provided all the necessary hooks. The game’s reigning triumvirate – Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy – had a leisurely 5-hour, 15-minute stroll together Thursday afternoon, with McIlroy walking in a long birdie putt at the 18th to tie Patrick Cantlay for the first-round lead at 65.
The start puts McIlroy in full tease mode, fueling notions that this might be the week when he lands that elusive fifth major. McIlroy has a simple focus this week: Conservative golf and a super-stoic mindset.
Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau are also near the top of the leaderboard, showcasing their skills on the challenging course. Koepka had the early lead for a moment, showing his strength but faced some obstacles along the way. Woods had a solid start but faced challenges during the round.
It’s the nature of Pinehurst No. 2 that makes the U.S. Open a tough championship with unpredictable outcomes. The greens and surrounding areas have a reputation for repelling approach shots, adding to the difficulty of the tournament.
