PINEHURST, US: Rory McIlroy sank a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at the 18th hole to finish a five-under-par 65 first round and match Patrick Cantlay for the lead at the US Open on Thursday.
World number three McIlroy, chasing his first major victory since the 2014 PGA Championship, delivered a bogey-free round at Pinehurst, defying its dome-shaped greens, sandy waste areas and wiregrass.
“I’m delighted with the start,” McIlroy said.
“As the week goes on the golf course is going to get a bit faster and a bit firey, but right now, there’s opportunities out there and thankfully I was able to take advantage of them.
“I think more so this championship than the others, getting off to a good start is really important to try to keep yourself up there. Because you need to give yourself as much of a cushion as possible knowing what’s lurking around the corner.”
America’s ninth-ranked Cantlay, a back-nine starter, birdied three of his last five holes for an early 65 and with McIlroy took a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s sixth-ranked Ludvig Aberg, Masters runner-up in his major debut, with France’s Matthieu Pavon and American Bryson DeChambeau sharing fourth on 67.
“It’s the US Open. It’s supposed to be hard,” Aberg said. “That’s what we’re doing here.”
McIlroy, a 30-year-old from Northern Ireland, sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the fourth hole then chipped in brilliantly from just off the green for a birdie at the par-5 fifth.
The four-time major winner added a birdie putt from just inside seven feet at the par-5 10th then birdied two of the last three holes, sinking an 11-footer at the par-4 16th and then his tension-packed putt at 18.
“I think the one thing we got a little lucky with today was the cloud cover, so the golf course didn’t get as fiery as I expected it to get this afternoon,” McIlroy said.
“The nice thing is to go out there and take advantage of the conditions and get back out in the morning and try to keep the momentum going.”
McIlroy was second in last year’s US Open, his fifth top-10 effort in a row at the US Open with each better than the last.
An afternoon feature group with the world’s three top players was dominated by McIlroy, with world number one Scottie Scheffler, the Masters champion, firing a 71 and second-ranked Xander Schauffele, who won last month’s PGA Championship, on 70.
Scheffler has five PGA Tour wins this year, the most by any player at this stage since Tom Watson in 1980.
Schauffele snapped a two-year win drought last month with his first major triumph.
Cantlay, seeking his first major triumph, and McIlroy matched the low US Open rounds at Pinehurst, two 65s by Martin Kaymer on his way to victory in 2014.
“Played pretty solid most of the way,” Cantlay said. “The golf course played pretty difficult. But drove it well. Lot of balls on the fairways. Left the ball in the right spots, for the most part.”
Cantlay, the 2021 PGA Tour playoff champion, is a contender for a US berth at the Paris Olympics but must finish no worse than second this week to have a chance.
Aberg sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 ninth to finish on 66 with six birdies and two bogeys.
“Very nice round of golf,” Aberg said. “Not a lot to complain about.”
DeChambeau, last month’s PGA Championship runner-up and the 2020 US Open champion, made a three-foot birdie putt at 13, holed out for birdie from 52 feet at 18 and birdied the fifth after putting his tee shot way right into trees.
Pavon, ranked 24th, soared with eagles at the par-5 fifth on an 18-foot putt and on a 27-foot putt at the par-5 10th hole.
“I made my four best swings of the day on the par-5s and dropped two putts,” Pavon said. “It gave me a little bit of freedom.”
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka and seventh-ranked Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner, were among those on 70.
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, struggled to a 74. He had five bogeys in a seven-hole stretch starting at the 16th after teeing off on the back nine.
McIlroy fires bogey-free 65 to share US Open lead with Cantlay
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McIlroy fires bogey-free 65 to share US Open lead with Cantlay
- “I’m delighted with the start,” McIlroy said
Tiger Woods opens door to Masters return, US Ryder Cup captaincy
- Woods said Tuesday afternoon at the site of the Genesis Invitational at Rivera Country Club he wouldn’t rule out returning for the 2026 Masters in April
LOS ANGELES: Undaunted following a milestone birthday and a trio of recent major physical setbacks that have limited his tournament schedule to a trickle, Tiger Woods believes he has plenty of game left.
Woods said Tuesday afternoon at the site of the Genesis Invitational at Rivera Country Club he wouldn’t rule out returning for the 2026 Masters in April.
“I’m trying. Put it that way,” the 50-year-old Woods said. “The disc replacement has been one thing. It’s been a challenge to — I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.
“And now, I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on (in PGA Tour events) because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly (an) opportunity.”
In reality, Woods might be too busy to play tournament golf these days.
As the chair of the new Future Competitions Committee, Woods is heavily involved in what will be a new-look PGA Tour as early as the 2027 season, with a full roll out aimed for 2028. He revealed on Tuesday he was asked about his interest in being the United States captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
“Yeah, they have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet,” Woods said of the Ryder Cup showdown against Europe that is set to be played in Ireland. “I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour.
“That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team, our Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup, if I can do it justice with my time.”
This week, Woods’ main focus will be to welcome the field to the Genesis Invitational where he is the tournament host. While Riviera was the site of his first ever PGA Tour event, on a sponsor’s exemption at the Los Angeles Open in 1992 when he was 16, the Southern California native will not be playing this week.
But still could be on the course soon.
As for Augusta National, the 15-time major winner was asked if participating in the Masters was ruled out, Woods said “No.”
Future changes to the PGA Tour are not expected to move the Masters off its traditional spring window, but Woods said a myriad of other options are being considered. The plan essentially will create a shorter tournament calendar while still improving the product.
“Yeah, we’re going to get more top players playing and we’re going to make it more competitive,” Woods said. .”.. Having Brooks (Koepka) come back, having Patrick Reed play as well as he is and committed to coming back to the tour, having Scottie (Scheffler) as dominant as he has been, and to have Rory (McIlroy) complete the career grand slam, you have a lot of top players, but also you have a lot of youth that has come up.”
The current West Coast swing, which is the traditional start to the PGA Tour season, might cease to exist or be completely altered. Instead of starting the PGA Tour season in January, reports have indicated future seasons could start after the Super Bowl.
“Well, I think it’s trying to serve literally everyone, from the player side of it, from our media partners, from all of our title sponsors, from the local communities or even changing venues and going to bigger markets,” Woods said. “It’s what do we need to do from a competitive model to make our tour the best product it can possibly be each and every year and still have room for development. How do we do all of that at the same time?“
This week’s tournament in the Los Angeles area could remain in its February window or move toward the end of the season in August and be a playoff venue.
“It’s been a lot of moving parts, but it’s been in sync,” Woods said. “We’ve had a lot of information thrown our way, which has been great. Everyone is working collaboratively together.”
Woods could even be a part of that future schedule as a player. He still has physical limitations from the shattered right leg that happened during a single-car crash in 2021, followed by an Achilles injury and disc replacement surgery in his back this past October.
Given his physical ailments, playing on the Champions Tour, which allows players to use a golf cart, is under consideration. Woods turned 50 just over a month ago, making him eligible for the Champions Tour.
“I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging,” Woods said. “And I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.”
He had no timetable on when a Champions Tour debut might take place. Woods is more content with turning back the clock this week.
“For me, that’s part of the neat thing about being here at (Riviera), being able to go back in time as a kid,” Woods said.
