Two days after stressing the need for a fast start, Rory McIlroy got just what he wanted in the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open Championship at a relatively benign Winged Foot Golf Club.
Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy shot five over par to win the last U.S. Open at the venue in 2006, while American Hale Irwin was seven over in surviving the so-called “Massacre at Winged Foot” in 1974.
However, McIlroy was among the early starters who made the most of ideal conditions while they could on Thursday.
A three-under-par 67 left McIlroy two shots off the clubhouse lead held by World Number Three Justin Thomas, with former Masters champion Patrick Reed on four under following a 66 aided by a hole-in-one on the seventh.
McIlroy had spoken on Tuesday about the need for a good opening round as he looks to claim a first Major title since the 2014 US PGA Championship.
In his last eight Major starts, the former World Number One was a total of 16 over par in the first round, compared to a combined 23 under in rounds two, three and four.
“First round of a major you’re always anxious to play well and maybe I’ve overthought it at times,” McIlroy said after his lowest opening round in the U.S. Open since 2011 at Congressional, where he went on to win by eight shots.
“I just went out today and just took what was given to me a little more relaxed and played really nicely.
“I think at a U.S. Open if you can get off to a good start, you’re not chasing as much. And when you chase on U.S. Open golf courses, that’s when you can start to make mistakes and compound your errors.”
Starting on the back nine, McIlroy birdied the tenth, 13th and 18th to be out in 32 and rebounded from a three-putt bogey on the first with a third two of the day on the difficult third, a hole made famous by 1959 champion Billy Casper.
Casper purposely laid up short of the green on the par three and successfully pitched on and one-putted on the highly contoured putting surface in all four rounds on his way to victory.
McIlroy looked set to pick up another birdie after driving the green on the short par-four sixth, but three-putted from 40 feet for a disappointing par.
“There was a couple other chances I let slip by, so there was chances there to maybe sneak another two or three out of the round,” McIlroy added. “But at the same time, 67 here is always going to be a good score.
“Some courses you show up, you don’t really have to work that hard for a 67, where here you do. So it’s a little more gratifying.”
Thomas carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in his 65, outscoring playing partner Tiger Woods by eight shots.
“It was a good day for me from the start,” Thomas said. “I’ve just played really, really solidly. Hit a lot of really quality tee shots, only had a few squirrelly ones, it felt like. The few greens I missed, I hit great bunker shots to give myself good par chances.
“It’s one of the best rounds I’ve played in a while tee to green.”
American amateur Davis Thompson had been the early pacesetter after playing the first 11 holes in four under, but three late bogeys meant the 21-year-old had to settle for an opening 69.
