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WInged Foot was not the fearsome monster we all expected yesterday, with over 20 players finishing below par thanks to relatively responsive greens and favorable pin positions.
Justin Thomas looked supremely good on his way to a five under 65, displaying the usual power off the tee along with immaculate distance control on his approaches. Rory McIlroy has a similar playing style, and his precise driving set him up for a 67 single at three under par.
McIlroy could benefit from the so-called ‘diaper factor’ as a new father and the same could be said for Thomas Pieters, who enjoyed a much-needed return to form with a four under 66.
“In the first round of a major, you’re always eager to play well and maybe sometimes I’ve thought about it too much,” McIlroy said. “I just went out and took what they gave me a little more relaxed and played really well.
“I think at a US Open, if you can get off to a good start, you’re not chasing that much. And when you chase on the US Open golf courses, that’s when you can start to make mistakes and compound your mistakes.”
Winds from the north are expected to pick up today and the USGA has the option of turning on the subsea system to extract moisture from the greens.
McIlroy and Tiger Woods will get a lot of attention among later starters, but heavy hitters Matt Wolff, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau and Dustin Johnson are already on the field, as are Pieters.
Woods had a mixed round yesterday, scoring just six pairs, five birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey in a reverse round. Woods hasn’t thrived on a long course defended by dense rough for some time, and the cool September conditions in New York aren’t ideal for his stiff back, either. You need to find a way to keep it short to make sure the weekend rolls around.
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