There is a barber in the Pinehurst clubhouse for any player who needs a cut during the US Open. Scottie Scheffler visited ‘Monti’ before this first round and opted to tackle the brutal number 2 circuit with a new setup.
And on Thursday, his game also looked a little different: the world number one struggled for consistency and control. It was a welcome respite for their rivals, who have been subdued for most of this season.
Here at Pinehurst, Rory McIlroy also showed off his different look. After a “come to Jesus moment,” the 2011 champion has revamped his game when it comes to the US Open. He has learned to accept boring golf. This has led to five consecutive top ten finishes, including second place in Los Angeles last year.
A fifth major still eludes him, but perhaps McIlroy really is closer than ever. He’s tied for the lead here, having chipped away at his explosiveness and erased every shot of Patrick Cantlay’s lead during a magnificent first round.
At the end of it all, a dog fight is coming. McIlroy and Cantlay faced each other in last year’s Ryder Cup, with the Northern Irishman calling his rival “bloody”. Here they are tied at five under par.
Rory McIlroy enjoyed a brilliant first round of the US Open at Pinehurst on Thursday
The Northern Irishman, who canceled his divorce this week, pursued Patrick Cantlay
No one here has ever shot below their 65 at the US Open. And the Northern Irishman did it without a single ghost. The last three times he opened with a flawless round at a major, he lifted the trophy.
“It was a really controlled round of golf,” McIlroy said. ‘(My plan is to be) super conservative with my strategy and my game. I think with my behavior, I just try to be super stoic. I just try to be as even-tempered as possible.
“I really feel like that’s what has served me well in these US Opens over the last few years.
And he added: “In the big championships that I have won or in which I have played well, I have always had a good start, and it is good to start another.”
McIlroy and Cantlay are one shot away from the brilliant young Swedish debutant, Ludvig Aberg. Bryson Dechambeau, the 2020 champion, and Matthieu Pavon are tied for fourth place at three under par.
Cantlay is tied for the lead with McIlroy, having set the early pace in Thursday’s first round.
World number one Scottie Scheffler suffered a difficult day and is six shots behind McIlroy and Cantlay.
Meanwhile, heavy favorite Scheffler managed to get to one over par on an afternoon when nothing worked, while Xander Schauffele battled back to even par after a yo-yo round that included four birdies, four bogeys and several wayward drives.
One hit a volunteer, another lodged in a plastic ball filled with merchandise. Apparently, the fan had shelled out $650. They had seen a long day, in which some of the best players in the world took a beating from Pinehurst.
Among them? Tiger Woods (+4) Phil Mickelson (+9) and Justin Thomas (+7). Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 Sheffield champion, also struggled to reach three over par, level with 2013 winner Justin Rose.
But many others clung to remain with a chance. Among them were the Englishmen Aaron Rai, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood.
Scheffler is six strokes away, but only a fool would rule him out. The world number one has five wins this season, plus the birth of his first child and a brief trip to jail at the PGA Championship.
Schauffele took advantage of that week to get his first major in Valhalla. Can McIlroy take advantage of this opportunity?
McIlroy did not commit a single bogey during a first round that leaves him tied for first place.
The Northern Irishman has already endured enough chaos recently. He filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, shortly before the PGA Championship and then called it off just days before this tournament.
However, it has a history of thriving amid turmoil and this was a tremendously impressive start.
There was the occasional piece of magic, even at five, when he contributed. Other birdies came on holes four, 10, 16 and 18. The last was sealed with arrogance when McIlroy walked a long putt towards the hole. However, above all he played with the percentages and did not let some strange error derail him from course.
Even when the other members of his successful group tried hard. Scheffler threw his club after a missed approach and then nearly holed the chip. Schauffele had to dig himself out of several holes.
Tiger Woods is nine shots off the leaders after a difficult first round for the 48-year-old.
Cantlay was safe in the clubhouse when they headed to face Pinehurst. The American made just one bogey and only needed 23 putts in his excellent 65. His day began with a par on the par-five tenth; Woods had improved a few minutes earlier, rolling in a birdie putt to take over the lead shortly after 7:30 a.m.
It remained in the red and lingered among the leaders for a while. It looked like Woods’ new swing coach, his 15-year-old son Charlie, might know what he does. However, a few hours later, as the 48-year-old watched his final tee shot sail away from the green, the frustration finally boiled over. “Fuck you,” Woods mouthed. It had become that kind of day.
At one point, Woods had a putt to tie then-leader Aberg at two under par. Six holes later, they were six strokes apart. When Woods shot a 4-over 74, the gap to Cantlay was nine. This course is hard enough without a body held hostage by a light breeze.
“I hope I don’t feel too cramped on the car ride back; I can feel cramped with the air conditioning,” Woods said. “Here things can go the other way, in the wrong direction. It’s very difficult to go back.’
Their hopes of making the weekend seem over, but elsewhere in Pinehurst, this tournament is bubbling nicely.