US Open golf 2024: first round – live | US Open

McIlroy gets up and down for his par at 6 to stay at -2 and, despite giving it a bit of a lean with an iron from the tee, finds the short grass at the 7th. The right side is the place to be so he’s A1 there really. Scheffler has only hit one fairway out of five so far but that’s a better swing and we can update that to 2-for-6 now. No need for any panic of course although a mythical reader has asked how close to the lead were the three previous winners of US Opens at Pinehurst. Answer: coming up shortly…

It’s been a disastrous start for Viktor Hovland, who is already a full 10 strokes off the pace set by Cantlay after a bogey and two doubles in his first five holes. Major winners Jason Day (after 6) and Keegan Bradley (after 4) are also struggling early in their rounds, both at +3. And just one shot ahead of that pair on +2 is the malfunctioning Scheffler, who three-putts the 6th. Are we blaming the haircut?

McIlroy glugs from an enormous water bottle as he waits at the 230-yard par-3 6th tee. Smart idea; it’s now over 90 degrees in North Carolina. His well-struck six-iron lands in the middle of the green but this is the hardest hole on the course today and you can see why as his ball springs off the rock-hard putting surface and tumbles away down a slope. More short-game wizardry needed. Scheffler finds the green although not within realistic birdie range but Schauffele – +1 alongside Scheffler – is maybe half a club short and his tee-shot rolls back off the front edge.

Rory McIlroy! From just short of the 5th green in three and perhaps looking at bogey-6, he pops up a beautifully-judged chip and then watches it land and arc gracefully into the hole for birdie. That’s back-to-back red numbers for the 2011 US Open winner and he’s now tied fourth. But Scheffler’s attempt to birdie the front nine’s only par 5 fails ends in failure as his putt from around eight feet drifts right. He stays at +1.

-5: Cantlay (F)
-4: Åberg (F)
-3: Pavon (F)
-2: Finau (F), McIlroy (5)

English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are bowling along nicely. Both birdied their opener, the par-5 10th, and have followed that gain with three pars. Fleetwood has an excellent US Open record, boasting a second, a fourth and a fifth. But only once has he ended the first round better than tied 40th so a strong first 18 holes here and he’d definitely be in great position to kick on and get that first major win.

A little look at the stats to see how the three leaders put their rounds together. Cantlay currently ranks 1st for both Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and SG: Around The Green; Åberg is 1st for SG: Off The Tee; Pavon ranks 1st for SG: Putting and by quite a distance (+4.36) too. Cantlay and Åberg are both in the top 4 for SG: Approach while Pavon is only 56th in that category, suggesting the Frenchman’s round today had something of the smoke-and-mirrors about it. Meanwhile, Tom Hoge ranks 1st in SG: Whack The Flagstick as his approach at 13 smacks against the pin and rebounds some 50 feet away. Naturally, he three-putts from there for bogey to drop to +1. This bloody game.

-5: Cantlay (F)
-4: Åberg (F)
-3: Pavon (F)
-2: Finau (F)

Scheffler seems to have found time for a haircut between being arrested, becoming a dad and winning golf tournaments. It’s hidden beneath his golf cap but wife Meredith or a local barber has definitely had a good go at his barnet. In other news, he’s expertly chipped up to kick-in range and will save par at 4 to stay at +1. Rory deserves a birdie after yet another fine approach and this time he knocks it in with aplomb from seven feet. That red number at 4 puts him -1 and that’s good enough for tied fifth.

A quick leaderboard upate. It’s thinned out a little at the top, with just four players at -2 or better. Cantlay’s record in the majors is curiously poor. Just four top 10s in 29 starts and only one of those was a top five: tied third in the 2019 US PGA. The 32-year-old has never managed better than 14th in a US Open but he’s laid himself a great foundation to beat that here and maybe much, much more. Back on the course and Scheffler’s approach from sandy scrub comes up short of the 4th green. Time to show those short-game skills Scottie.

-5: Cantlay (F)
-4: Åberg (F)
-3: Pavon (F)
-2: Finau (F)

Thankyou sir. A mighty shift from Scott there. More entries than the Beatles in the 1964 Billboard chart. For my first entry, I’ll tell you that Scheffler has found some sandy scrub with his drive at the 4th. A messy start by your tournament favourite. Viktor Hovland, who looks like he’s escaped from the zoo (that shirt!), racks up double bogey at his second hole of the day (11) so that’s a 5-6 start.

… and with that, I’ll hand you over to David Tindall, who will take this blog home. Enjoy, enjoy, and see you tomorrow!

Greyson Sigg is always out of position on 14 after sending his tee shot into a fairway bunker. A dropped shot knocks him back to -1. Meanwhile the defending champion Wyndham Clark bogeys 2 after sending his tee shot wide left and clipping a tree with his backswing with his second. Then he pulls his third tee shot in a row at 3 into fairway sand. Given he required an up-and-down from a swale to par the opening hole, this is a pretty shaky start by Clark. Rory McIlroy can be forgiven for wondering where this Clark was on Sunday last year.

Scottie Scheffler’s driver hasn’t warmed up yet, and he fails to find the fairway again, this time at 1. He goes from fairway bunker to greenside bunker and splashes out conservatively to 14 feet. He underhits his putt and knows it from the moment he takes the stroke. He trudges after it in disappointment and the world number one’s first move of the week is a backwards one. He’s +1.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are going around together this afternoon. Both have opened with birdies at 10. A reminder that of the last 14 US Opens, European golfers have won six to the USA’s eight. That’s some return for Europe when you consider Tony Jacklin (1970) was the only European to bring it over the briny between 1926 and 2009.

Max Homa creams his second at the 619-yard par-five 10th from the best part of 300 to seven feet. Wonderful use of the camber to the left of the green. But he misreads the eagle putt, and, well, you shouldn’t really be disappointed by opening a US Open tilt with birdie, but it’s probably fair to make an exception here. Such a stunning approach. Homa’s going around with Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, who both open with pars.

Another birdie putt for Rory McIlroy, another shaved lip. This time at 2. Frustrating on the one hand, but the early signs are promising. They’re very promising for the newly crowned PGA champion Xander Schauffele, though: his second at the long par-four 2nd, from 192 yards, ends up five feet from the hole, and he makes the birdie putt. Only the second of the day at this 508-yard behemoth. He’s -1.

A nervous start to the week by defending champion Wyndham Clark. He pulls his tee shot into filth down the left – nearly knocking a steward flying, as she jumps out of the way without full control of her feet – then sends his second down a swale to the right of the green. But a delicious chip up to kick-in distance will settle those jangling nerves. His form at the majors since winning at LA Country Club last year hasn’t been great, with cuts missed at this season’s Masters and PGA. So that will do him the world of good as he begins his quest to mount a proud defence.

Greyson Sigg has missed the cut in three of his last four starts on the PGA Tour. He’s also never broken 70 at a US Open in his two previous appearances. But he’s started well here, with birdies at 10 and 12 to pop up on the leaderboard early doors.

A par at the 18th for Matthieu Pavon. A round of 67 featuring two eagles, and that’s another dream debut at the US Open. Meanwhile back on 1, Rory McIlroy is stunned as what looked like a straight 12-foot birdie putt somehow kinks out on the right lip. A par to begin; ditto Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.

-5: Cantlay (F)
-4: Åberg (F)
-3: Pavon (F)
-2: Finau (F), Mack III (14*), Sigg (3*)

The 35-year-old qualifier Willie Mack III is making his US Open debut this week. He’s grabbing this belated opportunity with both hands, raking in a 40-footer across 5 for his third birdie of the day, following ones at 13 and 15. Just the one dropped stroke at 17. He’s -2 and could a fairytale story be unfolding for a player who spent a couple of years living in his Ford Mustang?

A disappointing end to the round for Tony Finau. That overly aggressive putt on 9 proves costly as he can’t make the par saver coming back. A diminuendo end and he looks as disappointed as you’d imagine, but soon he’ll be reflecting fondly on a fine 68 that positions him nicely. Especially when he considers the scores of some other big names: 73 for Matt Fitzpatrick, a 75 for Will Zalatoris, that 77 for Justin Thomas, 77 for Sahith Theegala as well, and 79 for Phil Mickelson.

The second wave are making their way onto the course, and the afternoon’s marquee group of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and the world number-one Scottie Scheffler tee off at the 1st. They all take irons; they all whip them down the track. Coming up in the next group: the defending champion Wyndham Clark and Open champ Brian Harman. Excitement guaranteed!

Ludvig Åberg shoots 66

Tony Finau’s tee shot at 9 looks average by comparison, 40 feet from the cup. He gives the uphill birdie putt a rare old whack, and it fizzes four feet past. He’ll have a tricky par putt coming back.

Ludvig Åberg hits the shot of the day so far at the par-three 9th. A towering iron fired straight at the flag from 187 yards, the ball landing dutifully six feet from the hole. A putt for a 66.

Patrick Cantlay shoots 65

Patrick Cantlay is on one hell of a tear-up. He sends his second at 8 from 176 yards to four feet. In goes the birdie putt, his fifth in nine holes, and having sent his second into the centre of the par-three 9th, he’ll have a putt for a 64, which would be the best round at Pinehurst No2 in US Open history. Meanwhile a bogey for Matthieu Pavon at 16: his second shot didn’t make it up the false front of the green, and he raced a putt from the apron eight feet past. It could have been worse – it was travelling but hit a coin, which possibly stopped it from sailing off the back – but he couldn’t take advantage of the good fortune by making the one coming back, and there goes a shot. All of a sudden, things look quite a lot different at the top.

-5: Cantlay (17*)
-3: Finau (16*), Åberg (16*), Pavon (16)

Tiger Woods signs for a four-over 74. A seven-over 77 meanwhile for Justin Thomas. As for Sergio, he’s in with a very impressive but thoroughly uncharacteristic one-under 69. One birdie and 17 pars. Positively Faldoesque, which is something we’ve never said about Garcia.

Collin Morikawa follows up his hole-out from sand on 17 by steering in a huge right-to-left swinger on 18 for a birdie-birdie finish! He ends up with a 70 and will be feeling very good about his round now. It’s a 70 for his playing partner Brooks Koepka too, but he won’t be quite as content, having shipped three strokes in the last six holes.

Birdie at 7 for Tony Finau. Deserved reward for a second shot sent from 157 yards to six feet. The 34-year-old Utah saint, whose best finish came at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, where he placed fifth, hasn’t been a presence in any of the majors in the last couple of years. But this looks promising for a very popular player.

-4: Cantlay (16*), Pavon (15)
-3: Finau (16*), Åberg (16*)
-2: Henley (16*)

Cameron Smith rolls in a 25-foot left-to-right slider on 9 for birdie, and the 2022 Open champion signs for a 71. A 71 for Seamus Power as well; the 37-year-old from Ireland recovered well from his four-putt fiasco on 18, three consecutive birdies between 3 and 5 repairing the damage and then some.

Collin Morikawa has struggled awfully on the par threes today. A double bogey on 9, another double bogey on 15. More pain looks on the cards at 17 as he sends his tee shot into sand, short-siding himself on the right. But he opens his wedge to the skies and holes out for birdie! Despite some uncharacteristically scrappy stuff from the erstwhile PGA and Open champion, he’s hung on in there and things suddenly don’t look so bad at +1.

Corey Conners started slowly. A double bogey at 2. That was cancelled out by eagle at 5, and though another bogey came along at 9, the 32-year-old Canadian kept plugging away, and with birdies at 13 and now 18, he signs for an impressive one-under-par opening round of 69. Conners has never survived the cut at the US Open in five previous attempts; he’s halfway there to finally making it at last. He’s the early clubhouse leader alongside SH Kim, the 25-year-old South Korean also carding 69 on his US Open debut.

Ludvig Åberg’s tee shot at the par-three 6th u-turns on the false front. Then he chips up carelessly, his ball landing well short of the hole, then left-turning towards the trap. It snags in the fringe. It’d have been better dropping in, because he’s got no stance, and does well to simply punch his third shot up onto the green, leaving a seven-foot putt for bogey. There was a real chance there of his falling backwards into the bunker, his ball rolling back in there as well. So something of a result, all things considered. He’ll feel a lot better if he can make the putt to limit the damage … and in it goes. That is staunch. It’s a bogey, but after the first two poor shots, it could have been more of a disaster. He’s -3.

A third bogey in four holes for Brooks Koepka. This really didn’t look on the cards when he was sauntering through the first 10. This one’s the result of another drive lost to the right, forcing him to hack out of thick scrub at 16. He nearly escapes with par after wedging from 70 yards to seven feet, but his putt stubbornly stays up. Back to level par, which is no disaster, but it’s been a topsy-turvy journey.

Mixed fortunes for Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley at the long par-three 6th. The former drains a 20-footer for a share of the lead; the latter misses a par putt from four feet to slip to -1. All of a sudden, a little bit of separation at the top.

-4: Cantlay (15*), Åberg (14), Pavon (13)
-2: Finau (14*), Shipley -a- (13), E Molinari (12*)

Some news of those mentioned in early dispatches. Logan McAllister, who led the tournament for a while this morning, recovered from that careless double bogey at 11 by parring his way home. He signs for a level-par 70, and will be in good nick going into tomorrow. Northern Irish prodigy Tom McKibbin, who had started so promisingly, slipped to a 74. And poor Matteo Manassero never recovered from that opening triple-bogey eight, ending up carding 79.

Ludvig Åberg moves into a share of that lead. He nearly drains a putt from the bottom of the swale to the right of 5. Eagle would have been a dream, but birdie will more than suffice, and the young man from Sweden, playing in the US Open for the very first time, is making things look easy. It’s the US Open, so it surely won’t last, but then we said the same thing about Martin Kaymer on Thursday and Friday ten years ago, and look what happened there.

-4: Åberg (14*), Pavon (13)
-3: Cantlay (14*)
-2: Henley (14*), Finau (14*), Shipley -a- (12), E Molinari (12*)
-1: Garcia (16), Koepka (15), Kim (13), Thompson (11*), Salinda (10), Rai (10*), Mack III (10*)

Neal Shipley won the Silver Cup for low amateur at this year’s Masters. What’s more, he did so by going round on Sunday with Tiger Woods, outscoring him 73 to the living legend’s 77. He’s outscoring Woods again today. As Tiger toils at +3, the 23-year-old college student from Pittsburgh has just followed up birdie at 10 with another at 12 to move to -2. He’s just two off the lead!

Koepka gives his par effort an aggressive roll. It slides by on the right, leaving a testing three-footer coming back. He makes it for bogey, while Morikawa tidies up for his double-bogey five. Koepka is -1, Morikawa +2. Pinehurst beginning to really bare its teeth now, as the sun bakes the course. The players will be pleased to hear the USGA plan to chuck a bit of water on the greens every evening. Sweet small mercies.

Before Brooks Koepka can attempt his ten-foot par saver, Collin Morikawa putts up the swale … and watches in horror as his ball topples back down. A second attempt is much better, but he’ll need to make the three-footer that remains for double. Meanwhile over on 5, Ludvig Åberg sends his second pin high, but the ball topples off the back.

Up on the 5th green, Patrick Cantlay nearly drains an eagle putt from the fringe at the back. It’s a tap-in birdie that moves him up to -3. Going the other way, his playing partner Russell Henley, who skips in frustration after pulling a par putt wide left from eight feet. And on 15, Brooks Koepka, having watched his playing partner Collin Morikawa duff a chip from a similar position back left, opts to take putter and only just gets up onto the green.

… so having called Brooks Koepka unflappable, he pulls his tee shot at the par-three 15th over the back-left of the green. Rackin’ up those Pulitzers over here! Meanwhile over on 5, Ludvig Åberg hits his 12th fairway out of 12 today. This is the sort of behaviour that can win you a US Open.

Brooks Koepka elegantly splashes out from the sand on 14. He salvages a kick-in par. That’s his second successful scramble from a tight spot in a trap in four holes. These are the sort of things that make a difference come Sunday. The man’s unflappable. He remains -2. Meanwhile there’s another special save, this one by Matthieu Pavon on 12. Having pulled his second down a swale back left of the green, he chips up to 15 feet, then confidently rams in the putt. He’s still one clear of Russell Henley and Ludvig Åberg at -4.

Of all the former US Open champions out there this morning, Brooks Koepka is the only one of them currently under par. For now, anyway. Having just made a three-putt bogey on 12, the 2017 and 2018 champ has sent his ball into a greenside bunker to the left of 14 from the centre of the fairway. Not the sort of unforced error he makes too often. He drops his head in irritation. One of those other erstwhile champs, Tiger Woods, birdies 5 to halt the decline; he’s back to +3. Meanwhile Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose are +2, Lucas Glover is +3, and Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson are +4.

A first mistake of the day by Brooks Koepka is followed by a first mistake by Matthieu Pavon. He pulls his second at 11 into a greenside bunker, from which he can’t get up and down.

-4: Pavon (11)
-3: Henley (12*), Åberg (12*)
-2: Koepka (13), Cantlay (12*), E Molinari (10*)

A rare mistake by Brooks Koepka. His 50-foot birdie putt across 13 trundles 15 feet past. His ball very nearly topples off the green. He’s spared that indignity, but can’t make the one coming back up the hill, and that’s a careless three-putt bogey. The two-time champ slips back to -2.

Oh Tiger. He lets his short putt on 4 turn meekly to the left and that’s another dropped shot. He’s +4 and feeling the heat, perhaps literally. A lot of younger men than Tiger struggling out there under the blazing North Carolina sun. Matteo Manassero, for example, 17 years Tiger’s junior at 31; he’s just bogeyed 4, 5 and 6 and props up the entire field right now at +9. Just above him, Phil Mickelson, who has just dropped a shot at 11 to slip to +7.

A second eagle of the day for Matthieu Pavon! This one’s poured in from 27 feet at 10, and he acknowledges the latest roar with an insouciant wave. A reminder that this is Pavon’s first season on the PGA Tour, and he’s already become the first French golfer to win a tournament on it since 1907 (!) and tied for 12th at the Masters. Now look! Another birdie for Russell Henley, meanwhile, this time at 3 after yet another dart at the flag, and it’s all change at the top.

-5: Pavon (10)
-3: Koepka (12), Henley (12*), Åberg (12*)

Trouble for Tiger at 4. Having made a third consecutive bogey at 2, he could do with a little something to stem the tide. But he carves his second into the gallery down the right. It’s not clear whether he gets a lucky or unlucky bounce off somebody’s bag, because while his ball was heading into deep trouble and pings back left, it only does so towards a patch of downhill dirt behind a bunker. He’d have rather been in the trap. But he manufactures a glorious wedge over the sand and into the front of the green, rolling it out to four feet. From where he was, that was little short of miraculous, and unless he does something silly with the straight putt he’s left with, he’ll remain at +3. A turning point?

Ludvig Åberg so nearly makes it three birdies on the bounce. But his 35-foot putt on 2 shaves the right-hand lip and stays out. He remains in a share of the lead at -3.

Just sensational stuff from Brooks Koepka. He opens his sand wedge to the heavens, swings hard yet soft, and lands his sand shot to three feet. He had hardly any green to work with there, but escapes with his par. Sheer brilliance, though two successive drives sent into trouble will give him a little pause for thought during an otherwise flawless round. And yes, here he goes, crashing his tee shot at 12 down the middle. The five-time major champion isn’t making the same mistake thrice. He’s -3.

We’ve already mentioned Sergio, but you’ll have noticed another old Guardian-golf-blog favourite popping up on the leaderboard there. Rickie Fowler came joint second here in 2014 with Erik Compton, Martin Kaymer having smoked the field early doors with a blistering first two rounds of 65. He clearly responds well to Pinehurst No2, because he’s been enjoying himself today, out in an eventful 35 strokes, level par but with three bogeys and birdies on his card. A fourth birdie at the par-five 10th takes him into red figures, and would there be a more popular winner than one of the game’s nice guys, so often a major-championship nearly man? No, surely no. But what’s this? He’s 35 years old? 35? The super-cool spring chicken Rickie Fowler is 35? How did that happen? Oh man. Oh mercy.

Ludvig Åberg makes it back-to-back birdies. Having clipped an approach close at 18, he does the same at 1, and tidies up without fuss. He joins the leaders. Meanwhile on 11, Brooks Koepka catches another half-decent lie in the scrub, but pulls his second into a bunker to the left of the pin. Had that landed on the green a couple of feet to the right, it would have been pin high and a decent birdie chance. As it is, the camber collects the ball into the trap, where he’s short-sided. An up-and-down for par will be a hell of a result if he can manage it.

-3: Koepka (10), Åberg (10*), Pavon (8)
-2: Cantlay (10*), Henley (10*), Finau (10*), Molinari (7*), Mack III (6*), Salinda (5)
-1: Garcia (11), Fowler (10), Thompson (6*), Blair (6*)

Suggesting Brooks Koepka was in near-complete control of his game may have been premature. Pulitzer, please! Having carved his tee shot at 10 into trouble down the right, but got away with it, he does the same at 11. He might not have got away with this one. We’ll see. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies at 18 and 1 for Patrick Cantlay, who moves to -2. And Matthieu Pavon walks one in at 8 to join Koepka at the top! You never know, the 31-year-old late-blooming Frenchman could be the sole leader soon, depending on the scrambling skills of Brooks.

-3: Koepka (10), Pavon (8)
-2: Cantlay (10*), Henley (10*), Finau (9*), Åberg (9*), Molinari (7*), Mack III (6*), Salinda (5)

… but a six-way tie couldn’t last. It didn’t last! Brooks Koepka gets a lucky break after an errant drive down the right of 10. He’s able to whip back into play from a clean lie, reaches the green in regulation, then drains a 30-footer to hit the lead on his own again. The big man looks in the mood, and in near-complete control of his game.

-3: Koepka (10)
-2: Finau (9*), Åberg (9*), Pavon (7), Molinari (7*), Salinda (5)