Patrick Cantlay grabs U.S. Open clubhouse lead as Scheffler tees off

Patrick Cantlay used a late birdie blitz to grab the early U.S. Open clubhouse lead on Thursday at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina where tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler had just started his first round.

Cantlay carded three late birdies on a tricky Pinehurst No. 2 layout en route to a sizzling five-under-par 65 that left him one shot clear of Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg.

The 32-year-old Cantlay had a chance to go even lower but a birdie putt from 19 feet at his final hole, the par-three ninth, shaved the right edge.

“Played pretty solid most of the way,” said Cantlay, who needed only 23 putts on the turtle-shell greens that are one of the course’s greatest defence.

“I thought the golf course played pretty difficult. But drove it well. A lot of balls on the fairway. Left the ball in the right spots, for the most part.”

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Swede Aberg, playing in his first U.S. Open, produced a brilliant display of ball-striking and birdied his closing hole, the par-three ninth, with Frenchman Matthieu Pavon a further shot back.

Sergio Garcia, who squeezed into the U.S. Open field as an alternate, opened with a 69 which was only the sixth bogey-free round in U.S. Open history at Pinehurst No. 2.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka (70), one of 12 LIV Golf players in the 156-player field, was three under through 12 holes before three bogeys over his closing holes dropped him back.

Masters champion and world number one Scheffler, fresh off Sunday’s one-shot triumph at the Memorial Tournament, went out late in a high-profile threesome with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.

Scheffler entered the week riding high as the first player to win five times in a season on the PGA Tour before the U.S. Open since Tom Watson in 1980.

The U.S. Open began under sunny skies on a layout sure to test the mental discipline of the players given its tricky greens and fairways that bleed into sandy waste areas full of wire grass.

Tiger Woods, competing in only his fourth event of the year and who accepted a special exemption to play in the U.S. Open, enjoyed an encouraging start but his putter abandoned him as the round wore on and he opened with a 74.

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Woods, who started on the back nine, opened with a birdie before confidence-boosting, par-saving putts from 10 feet at the 12th and nine feet at 13.

The injury-ravaged Woods suddenly came undone, however, as he carded five bogeys during a seven-hole stretch around the turn.

“I didn’t hit my irons particularly well,” Woods said. “Didn’t putt that great. Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately I just didn’t capitalize on it.”

Phil Mickelson, U.S. Open runner-up a record six times, saw his hopes of completing the career Grand Slam of golf’s four majors fade with a 79 in a round that started with four consecutive bogeys.