Can Cantlay capitalize? What does Tiger have to do? Waiting for Friday on the U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — Pinehurst No. 2’s lightning-fast greens, steep runoffs and tough native areas confirmed their tooth within the first spherical of the 124th U.S. Open on Thursday.

A lot in order that world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler lastly seemed human in posting a 1-over 71, whereas most of the world’s finest gamers had been left scratching their heads after posting even greater numbers.

With temperatures anticipated to be even hotter Friday, situations within the second spherical could be much more daunting because the greens and fairways agency up much more.

“Yeah, it is actually exhausting,” stated England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who carded a 2-under 68. “Definitely, like the place the pins are, you’ll be able to hit an important shot. Maintaining it on the inexperienced 20 toes away is a superb shot, which is mad to say while you’re hitting, like, a wedge into the inexperienced kind factor.

“It is simply making an attempt to simply accept that pars are an excellent rating. Even for those who do handle to hit the inexperienced, like two-putts aren’t that quite simple. Yeah, it is only a actually powerful take a look at.”

They will all be chasing Patrick Cantlay, who’s searching for his first main championship victory, and Rory McIlroy, who’s making an attempt to win his first in practically 10 years. They set the tempo at 5-under 65.

Here is what to search for within the second spherical of the U.S. Open:

Cantlay in a brand-new spot

For the primary time in his profession, Cantlay finds himself on prime of a significant championship leaderboard after the primary spherical with a rating of 5-under on the day. Actually, Cantlay has solely been contained in the top-10 after the primary day of a significant twice earlier than: on the 2022 Masters and the 2019 PGA Championship. His finest end was on the latter, the place he tied for third place.

After his buddy Xander Schauffele received this yr’s PGA Championship, there’s now a case to be made that Cantlay is among the finest gamers on the earth with no main victory.

Cantlay has eight PGA Tour wins in his profession and is among the most prolific gamers on tour. And but his main file leaves loads to be desired. This yr, he completed tied for twenty second on the Masters and tied for 54th on the PGA Championship.

There’s a whole lot of golf left to play, however Cantlay has instantly put himself in prime place. Whether or not he can maintain it Friday, not to mention via Sunday, is a special matter.

On Thursday, Cantlay hit 9 of 14 fairways and solely 10 of 18 greens. It was his quick recreation (3.8 strokes gained in that space) and his placing (solely 23 whole putts!) that fueled his spherical of 65, tied for the bottom ever at Pinehurst No. 2 in a significant.

“I knew going off at 7:40 within the morning, it should play possibly the simplest it can play all week,” Cantlay stated. “With the dearth of wind and possibly the softest we’ll see it. I am actually proud of the spherical I performed at this time.”

At first look, Cantlay’s path to remaining atop the leaderboard does not seem like sustainable. Positive, you are not going to hit too many greens in regulation at Pinehurst No. 2 anyway, however you are additionally not going to solely want 23 putts to get across the course both. If Cantlay’s putter can stay sizzling and his quick recreation sharp, nevertheless, he will not be going away any time quickly.

Will Pinehurst No. 2 play even harder the remainder of the week?

Day 1 on Donald Ross’ playground for one of the best gamers on the earth featured a bit of little bit of the whole lot. We noticed gamers battle to maintain photographs on the inexperienced, go from one bunker to the opposite, take out total tufts of grass with their method photographs and fall sufferer to the course’s most diabolical contours and challenges.

We additionally noticed 15 gamers shoot beneath par – a reminder that regardless of how powerful the setup could also be, these guys are actually good. That is the identical quantity that shot beneath par after the primary spherical within the 2014 U.S. Open right here.

Even after simply in the future, it is evident that Pinehurst’s begin packs a robust punch. The 4 holes that performed the hardest on the golf course Thursday are all within the course’s first eight holes. No two performed harder than the 528-yard par-4 fourth gap and the 228-yard par-3. Each performed practically half a shot over par.

“There’s all the time going to be somebody that has the form of day that hits the ball nice, the whole lot goes his means, makes a few bombs, and you’ll shoot it,” Sergio Garcia, who completed at 1 beneath, stated. “Are we going to see it constantly? If it does not rain, I do not assume so. You may see somebody, yeah, capturing one other 66 or 65 or one thing like that, however on the finish of the day, I believe because the course will get even firmer, even sooner, a tiny little bit of breeze comes up right here and there, it should be tough to shoot these sorts of scores.”

It will likely be fascinating to see how the USGA treats the remainder of the golf course from right here on out. The inexperienced speeds fluctuated between 13 and 14 on the Stimpmeter on Thursday and if the golf course will get extra agency, these speeds might turn into far harder to cope with because the week goes on.

What does Tiger have to do?

After posting a disappointing 4-over 74 within the first spherical, 15-time main champion Tiger Woods hoped to get to the placing inexperienced Thursday to attempt to clear issues up. After making a 12-footer for birdie on No. 10, his first gap, and a pair of good par saves on Nos. 12 and 13, Woods’ putter was too inconsistent on the lightning-fast greens at Pinehurst No. 2.

He made three-putt bogeys on Nos. 17 and 1. The three-time U.S. Open winner missed a 4½-footer for par on the par-4 fourth. To his credit score, Woods did have par saves of 9 toes and 18 toes, respectively, on Nos. 6 and seven, or the spherical might need been worse.

“I would prefer to hit a number of putts,” Woods stated after his spherical. “My pace was not fairly there. I believe I three-putted, what, two or thrice at this time? If I clear that up, if I get a pair iron photographs not as unfastened as I did, I am proper there at even par.”

That continues to be the dilemma for Woods in main championships since he returned to aggressive golf after struggling critical accidents to his proper leg in a February 2021 car wreck. He is hesitant to ramp issues up an excessive amount of earlier than a significant in worry he would not be capable of get well in time from one other harm.

However taking part in much less golf has left him looking for solutions about his placing due to his lack of reps.

“I am bodily getting higher because the yr has gone on,” stated Woods, who will attempt to keep away from lacking the reduce in his second straight main. “I simply have not been capable of play as a lot as a result of I simply do not wish to damage myself pre-[tournament], then I will not be capable of play within the main championships.

“It is decide your poison, proper? Play so much with the potential of not taking part in, or not taking part in and battle being not as sharp.”

Work to do Friday

Together with having arguably essentially the most tough setup among the many 4 main championships, the U.S. Open additionally has the hardest 36-hole reduce. Solely the golfers with the highest 60 scores and ties can be round for the ultimate 36 holes this weekend.

The PGA Championship and Open Championship have 36-hole cuts with the highest 70 scores and ties. The Masters retains across the prime 50 scores and ties for the weekend, however the first main of the season has a a lot smaller subject than the 156-man subject within the U.S. Open.

There have been 64 golfers at 2 over or higher after the primary spherical.

There are many big-name gamers with appreciable work to do if they will be round for the ultimate two rounds. Reigning FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, whose recreation lastly confirmed indicators of life with a solo third on the PGA Championship, was no match for Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, posting an 8-over 78.

Together with Woods and Hovland, they embody: Phil Mickelson (9 over), Justin Thomas (7 over), Sahith Theegala (7 over), Will Zalatoris (5 over), Dustin Johnson (4 over), Shane Lowry (4 over), Justin Rose (3 over), Cameron Young (3 over), defending champion Wyndham Clark (3 over), Sam Burns (3 over) and Matt Fitzpatrick (3 over).

The issue with making an attempt to make up floor at Pinehurst No. 2, in line with Woods, is which you could get your self in loads of bother while you press to attempt to make issues occur.

“It could possibly go to this point the opposite means right here, the mistaken means,” Woods stated. “It is simply so exhausting to get again. It is a golf course that does not quit a complete lot of birdies. It provides up a whole lot of bogeys and better.”

What in regards to the amateurs?

There might be a extremely good battle this weekend for the Jack Nicklaus Medal, which works to the low newbie, with Ohio State’s Neal Shipley as soon as once more main the way in which at even par.

You may keep in mind Shipley from the Masters; he was the low newbie at 12-over 300 and beat Woods by 4 photographs in a Sunday pairing at Augusta Nationwide. He had 4 birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey within the first spherical at Pinehurst No. 2.

“Understanding I am snug out right here is simply enormous,” Shipley stated. “Understanding I can compete on exhausting golf programs in opposition to one of the best of the world, making the reduce. It is enormous understanding once I are available in right here I’ve the power to play effectively.”

Duke’s Bryan Kim (2 over), Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent (3 over) and UCLA’s Omar Morales (3 over) are additionally within the combine.

Sargent earned standing on tour for this season via the PGA Tour College Accelerated program, however opted to return to Vanderbilt for his senior season. He deferred his tour membership to June 2025.

Georgia Tech’s Hiroshi Tai, who spent two years within the Republic of Singapore Navy, was 5 over after the primary spherical. He captured an NCAA particular person title at Georgia Tech on Might 27. He earned invites to the U.S. Open and Masters in April 2025.