Rory caps day with lengthy birdie, shares Open lead

PINEHURST, N.C. — Rory McIlroy is once more knocking on the door.

A day that started with Patrick Cantlay posting a first-round 65 to take the early lead on the U.S. Open ended with an exclamation level: McIlroy strolling in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th gap that punctuated a bogey-free spin round Pinehurst No. 2 and gave him a share of the lead.

“I believed I left it brief,” McIlroy stated with a smile. “That is why I walked after it.”

Although unintentional, the early walk-in would have been becoming of the spherical McIlroy had. It wasn’t that he overpowered the golf course or that he made each putt he noticed. As an alternative, he performed with self-discipline and was assured within the high quality of his recreation.

“It was a extremely managed spherical of golf,” McIlroy stated.

McIlroy hit 15 of 18 greens, and the three that he didn’t hit he was capable of get up-and-down for par with ease. After spraying a drive proper on the par-5 fifth gap and misjudging the layup and the method, the chip-in for birdie set the tone for the spherical. McIlroy had a stretch of 4 straight pars on the entrance 9 and 5 straight pars on the again earlier than making a birdie on the par-5 sixteenth gap and the putt on 18.

“I may have gotten somewhat impatient,” stated McIlroy, a four-time main winner. “However I felt like my endurance was rewarded there with birdies on two of the final three holes. It was very nice to complete like that.”

By now, the spiel on McIlroy is well-known: It has been over 10 years since he gained a serious. He has had extra shut calls than any participant and has fallen brief on the Outdated Course in St. Andrews and different venues each new and acquainted comparable to Valhalla Golf Membership, the location of his final main win in 2014. McIlroy has tried new approaches and totally different strategies to get himself out of his main funk.

However though the foremost victories haven’t materialized, McIlroy stays steadfast in making an attempt to achieve the mountaintop once more.

“I’ve had some success by the kind of mindset that I’ve introduced in, particularly final 12 months at LACC,” McIlroy stated. “The golf course is somewhat totally different to what it was final 12 months, however nonetheless the identical technique, identical mindset. Simply making an attempt to hit it into the middles of greens and giving your self probabilities each single time, taking your drugs if you happen to do hit it into bother.”

Previously six years, McIlroy’s greatest alternatives at ending his drought have come on the U.S. Open. He has completed inside the highest 10 at every of the previous 5. Final 12 months was his closest name, a second-place end that left him just one stroke behind eventual winner Wyndham Clark. Earlier this week, McIlroy stated that since 2019, he has shifted to a extra disciplined method on the U.S. Open.

On Thursday, he additionally credited that shift to an appreciation for the programs the USGA is utilizing to host its tournaments.

“I’ve began to understand golf course structure an increasing number of because the years have went on,” McIlroy stated. “Simply changing into extra of a scholar of the sport once more, and I believe due to that I’ve began to embrace golf programs like this and setups like this.”

Past the newfound curiosity in a U.S. Open setup, McIlroy now finds himself in a novel however favorable place. Each time he has opened a serious with a bogey-free spherical, he has gone on to win the match. Now, for the primary time for the reason that 2022 PGA Championship, the place he led outright after the primary spherical, McIlroy can have three days and 54 holes to see if he can discover a method to stay atop the leaderboard once more.

“The main championships that I’ve gained or those that I’ve performed nicely at, I’ve at all times appeared to get off to begin,” McIlroy stated. “It is good to get off to a different one.”

Cantlay’s sizzling begin to this match is much less acquainted. That is the primary time the 32-year-old will maintain a share of the lead at a serious after the primary spherical. On Thursday, Cantlay’s putter was scorching sizzling, serving to him get across the golf course in solely 23 putts regardless of solely hitting 9 fairways and 10 greens.

Past Cantlay, these chasing the leaders embody Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg (4-under), who completed second in his Masters debut in April and is making his U.S. Open debut right here. The 24-year-old Aberg hit each fairway Thursday and solely missed two greens on his method to solo third place.

“Tremendous pleased with the best way we hit it. Tremendous pleased with the execution right now,” Aberg stated. “I felt it was very nice and really encouraging. All we are able to attempt to do is stick with it and be sure that we’re able to go tomorrow.”

Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, who has top-10 finishes within the two majors this 12 months, together with a runner-up on the PGA Championship final month, are tied for fourth place at 3-under, whereas Tony Finau and Tyrrell Hatton are tied with rookie Akshay Bhatia at 2-under. All three are in search of their first ever main victory.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked participant, has some work to do in pursuit of his third main. He bogeyed the par-4 third and spent the remainder of the day over par, ending at 1-over 71.

In whole, solely 15 gamers shot under-par rounds Thursday, highlighting the issue that Pinehurst No. 2 presents. Coincidentally, solely 15 gamers completed beneath par after the primary spherical of the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, too.