Rory McIlroy endures horror finish to first round at US Open
Rory McIlroy lets a good start slip in the first round of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club.
Rory McIlroy was chugging along nicely after nine holes in the first round of the US Open at Oakmont, only for the wheels to fall off spectacularly on the way home.
McIlroy, 36, started on the 10th and raced out the blocks with birdies on the 11th and 12th.
The Masters champion went out in 2-under and all appeared well in the world of McIlroy.
But things sadly went south from there.
McIlroy, who sounded downbeat about the state of his game during his Wednesday press conference, endured a back nine to forget.
The Northern Irishman bogeyed the 1st after missing a five-footer for par and then made a complete hash of the par-5 4th when taking three hacks out of the rough to get his ball back into the fairway.
To McIlroy's credit, he holed a 35-footer for bogey when it looked for all the world like it was going to be a double or worse.
That sent him back to level par, but worse was unfortunately still to come.
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He parred the 5th and then bogeyed the 6th and 7th before he experienced more deep rough issues on the daunting par-3 8th.
McIlroy flung his tee shot out to the right on the 276-yard beast and he proceeded to chunk his wedge shot in front of him.
His third shot came up well short of the pin and he would two-putt for a double-bogey five.
McIlroy went on par the 9th but it all added up to an inward nine of 41 and an opening round of 4-over 74.
It leaves McIlroy with plenty of work to do to get back in the race for a second US Open title.
McIlroy once again shunned media requests after the round, just as he did all four tournament days at the PGA Championship last month.
Hole | Par | Score |
10 | 4 | PAR (Par) |
11 | 4 | BIRDIE (-1) |
12 | 5 | BIRDIE (-2) |
13 | 3 | PAR (-2) |
14 | 4 | PAR (-2) |
15 | 4 | PAR (-2) |
16 | 3 | PAR (-2) |
17 | 4 | PAR (-2) |
18 | 4 | PAR (-2) |
OUT: 2-UNDER 33 | ||
1 | 4 | BOGEY (-1) |
2 | 4 | PAR (-1) |
3 | 4 | PAR (-1) |
4 | 5 | BOGEY (Par) |
5 | 4 | PAR (Par) |
6 | 3 | BOGEY (+1) |
7 | 4 | BOGEY (+2) |
8 | 3 | DOUBLE (+4) |
9 | 4 | PAR (+4) |
IN: 6-OVER 41 | ||
R1: 4-OVER 74 | ||
JJ Spaun surged to the front in the first round with a stunning bogey-free 4-under 66.
That not only marked Spaun's lowest round in nine major appearances, but also the first bogey-free round at a US Open at Oakmont since Dustin Johnson in the first round in 2016.
Spaun, 34, will be hoping that's a good omen as Johnson went on to win his first major title that week.
McIlroy's playing partners also endured a brutal first round.
Shane Lowry shot a shocking 9-over 79 despite holing out for an eagle-two on the 3rd.
Justin Rose double-bogeyed the final hole for a 7-over 77.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau also found things tough with a 3-over 73.
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