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US Open golf 2021: first round – as it happened

This article is more than 2 years old
 Updated 
Thu 17 Jun 2021 23.13 EDTFirst published on Thu 17 Jun 2021 13.00 EDT
Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen will have to complete his first round when play resumes on day two of the US Open. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP
Louis Oosthuizen will have to complete his first round when play resumes on day two of the US Open. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

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A few players - most notably Louis Oosthuizen - will have to come back in the morning to complete their first rounds. Hopefully there won’t be more fog, else the second round will slip into Saturday for sure. But here’s where we are after the first day’s play. Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow.

-4: Henley (F), Oosthuizen (16*)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F)
-2: Koepka (F), Schauffele (F), Buckley (F), Matsuyama (F), Rahm (F), Munoz (14*)

McIlroy rolls in his birdie putt, and that’s a really positive end to a round that looked to be heading south. That par saver from the fringe on 17 could prove a real momentum shifter. He bounces off with a huge smile on his face, whipping up the few spectators that remain. A very acceptable 70. Meanwhile a 71 for DJ, and a miserable 78 for Rose.

Par to finish at 9 for Jon Rahm. A 69, and the pre-tournament favourite is in good nick. Up on 18, McIlroy, having been forced to lay up in front of the water after driving into filth, wedges to 12 feet then jogs up in order to see what’s what before complete darkness descends.

What a finish by Adam Scott, who birdies 17 and now 18 to sign for a 70. Sergio meanwhile calms down enough to make his birdie, walking off smiling after his level-par 71. Once they clear the green, Dustin Johnson pulls a long iron into the sand at the back.

Before the klaxon went off, Justin Rose quickly hammered his drive down 18, to ensure his group could complete the final hole tonight. The group ahead were still in range, causing Sergio Garcia to gesticulate back towards the tee when Rose’s ball scampers past him. You can understand everyone’s point of view here. Meanwhile there’s no such rush on 8, where co-leader Louis Oosthuizen, facing a long two-putt for par, is happy to mark his ball and head to the clubhouse.

The klaxon goes. Players are allowed to finish the holes they’re on, but can’t play another. DeChambeau makes his birdie putt, and a 73 isn’t the end of the world considering his travails today. Par meanwhile for Matsuyama, who signs for a 69.

DeChambeau is left with a 50-foot eagle effort. He leaves it six feet short. Lee Wesrwood ends with a bogey six at 9, but level par is no disaster. Paul Casey pars too, and finishes with 71 as well. And a big putt from the fringe at the back of 17 by McIlroy, who suddenly walks off the green still level par, and with a bounce in his step. A birdie at the last, and suddenly things will begin to look chipper again.

DeChambeau’s second into 18 only just gets over the water. But he’s on in two. Huge relief. McIlroy whips out from the bunker at 17, but he only finds the fringe at the back of the green. Unless he drains one from 20 feet, it’ll be another bogey. A very tatty end to his round.

Oosthuizen comes up short at 7. He opts to putt up the false front and down towards the flag. A beautifully judged effort from 40 feet nearly drops, but he’ll be more than happy to have escaped with a par. He remains at -4. On 17, McIlroy dumps his second from the rough into greenside sand. And up on 18, a birdie at the last for Bob MacIntyre has him signing for a level-par 71.

A two-putt par for Bryson at 17, and he’s looking for something special down the last. A big drive at the par-five sets him up nicely. Back on 17, McIlroy sends his tee shot into the thick stuff down the right.

McIlroy’s tee shot at 16 plugs in a greenside bunker. He can’t hack out close, and it’s another bogey. A promising opening round is beginning to fray around the edges. He’s back to level. At least he’s not played himself out of contention on day one, as has been his recent major-championship habit. Birdies meanwhile for Sebastian Munoz at 18 and 2 bring the 28-year-old Colombian to -2.

As the darkness closes in, it’s a par for Richard Bland on 18, and that’s a fine 70 for the 48-year-old Englishman. There’s darkness enveloping Bryson DeChambeau, too, as he overhits a wedge from 90 yards into 17, the ball only just holding the back of the green. That’ll be a look at birdie from 20 feet, but it should have been so much better as he looks to buff a dull round into shiny respectability.

Sergio chips in from the front of 16 for a birdie that brings him to level par. He’s right in this, but doesn’t bother celebrating. He has the air of a man who can’t be bothered. Very strange.

It was all downhill for Christiaan Bezuidenhout after his eagle on 18. Those aforementioned bogeys at 2 and 4 were followed by further dropped shots at 7 and 9. He played his second nine today in 39 after a dalliance with the leaders; he signs for a one-over 72.

Hayden Buckley pars 18 and signs for a fine 69. Also on debut, his playing partner Taylor Montgomery, who cards 70. Meanwhile McIlroy does indeed make his par at 15.

It’s not been DeChambeau’s day. His tee shot at 16 is straight at the flag. One foot further, and it’s working its way to kick-in distance. But it snags in the fringe. He gets up and down for par, but at +3 he could have done with another look at birdie. Back on 15, McIlroy hits a hot one over the back, but from the bottom of a thickly covered bank, he whips up to three feet with delicate hands. He should save his par from there and remain at -1.

Russell Henley has been on his own at the top of the leader board for most of the day, but now he’s got company! The 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen sends his second at 5 to ten feet, then knocks in the birdie putt.

-4: Henley (F), Oosthuizen (14*)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F)
-2: Koepka (F), Schauffele (F), Buckley (17), Matsuyama (15), Rahm (14*), Detry (12)

A reminder of where we are right now.

-4: Henley (F)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F), Oosthuizen (13*)
-2: Koepka (F), Schauffele (F), Buckley (17), Matsuyama (15), Rahm (14*), Detry (12)

Rose misses a birdie effort from ten feet on 14. He remains at +6, and begins to eff and jeff in the expansive style. “Can you read lips?” jokes Sky commentator Brad Faxon. “If you can, we’re sorry,” responds his colleague Nick Dougherty, broadcasters long browbeaten by the manners police into this sort of craven nonsense. It’s 3am in the morning in Blighty. No need to apologise, we’re well past the watershed and all adults here.

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Word of the 2013 champ Justin Rose, who is having a bit of a shocker today. Three consecutive birdies on the front nine, 4 to 6, have been followed by another three in a row on the back nine, 10 to 12. He’s +6.

Lee Westwood, who missed a putt to make the play-off here in 2008, is quietly putting something together again. He’s birdied 3 and now 6 to join his compatriots Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Richard Bland at -1.

We’re not going to finish tonight, so these tee times will doubtless change tomorrow. But they will give you a rough idea of how things will pan out once the first-round stragglers complete their rounds in the morning ... fog willing.

(USA unless stated, all times UK)
Starting at hole 1
14.45 Taylor Pendrith (Can), Wade Ormsby (Aus), David Coupland (Eng)
14.56 Tom Hoge, Bo Hoag, Joe Highsmith
15.07 Erik van Rooyen (Rsa), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa)
15.18 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Garrick Higgo (Rsa), Cole Hammer
15.29 Lee Westwood (Eng), Stewart Cink, Paul Casey (Eng)
15.40 Will Zalatoris, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler
15.51 Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm (Spa), Marc Leishman (Aus)
16.02 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Sung Jae Im (Kor), Patrick Cantlay
16.13 Kevin Streelman, Charley Hoffman, Branden Grace (Rsa)
16.24 Brendon Todd, Sebastian Munoz (Col), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn)
16.35 Matthew Southgate (Eng), Matthias Schmid (Ger), Wyndham Clark
16.46 Dylan Wu, Justin Suh, Spencer Ralston
16.57 Kyle Westmoreland, Luis Gagne (Crc), Christopher Crawford
20.30 Andy Pope, Brad Kennedy (Aus), Thomas Aiken (Rsa)
20.41 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Yosuke Asaji (Jpn), Marcus Armitage (Eng)
20.52 Cameron Young, Wilco Nienaber (Rsa), Guido Migliozzi (Ita)
21.03 Matthew Wolff, Brian Harman, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
21.14 Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka
21.25 Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Billy Horschel
21.36 Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson, Max Homa
21.47 Jason Kokrak, Corey Conners (Can), Cameron Champ
21.58 Sam Ryder, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Paul Barjon (Fra)
22.09 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Martin Laird (Sco), Dylan Frittelli (Rsa)
22.20 Adrian Meronk (Pol), Sung-Hoon Kang (Kor), Rafael Cabrera (Spa)
22.31 Alvaro Ortiz (Mex), Andrew Kozan, Akshay Bhatia
22.42 Hayden Springer, Jimmy Hervol, Roy Cootes

Starting at hole 10
14.45 Zachary Zaback, Eric Cole, Steve Allan (Aus)
14.56 Jordan Smith (Eng), Taylor Montgomery, Hayden Buckley
15.07 Chez Reavie, Troy Merritt, Richard Bland (Eng)
15.18 Matt Wallace (Eng), Victor Perez (Fra), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
15.29 Tyler Strafaci, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Bryson DeChambeau
15.40 Bubba Watson, Adam Scott (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa)
15.51 Justin Rose (Eng), Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Dustin Johnson
16.02 Brendan Steele, Cameron Smith (Aus), Matt Jones (Aus)
16.13 Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Zach Johnson, Lanto Griffin
16.24 Chan Kim, Thomas Detry (Bel), Sam Burns
16.35 Brian Stuard, Ollie Osborne, Peter Malnati
16.46 Johannes Veerman, Zack Sucher, John Huh
16.57 Carson Schaake, Rick Lamb, Michael Johnson
20.30 Sahith Theegala, Greyson Sigg, Edoardo Molinari (Ita)
20.41 J. J. Spaun, Fabian Gomez (Arg), Chris Baker
20.52 Robby Shelton, Patrick Rodgers, Pierceson Coody
21.03 Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Russell Henley, Harris English
21.14 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Shane Lowry (Irl)
21.25 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng)
21.36 Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson, Martin Kaymer (Ger)
21.47 Tony Finau, Daniel Berger, Abraham Ancer (Mex)
21.58 Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Kevin Na, Si Woo Kim (Kor)
22.09 Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter (Eng), Ryan Palmer
22.20 J. T. Poston, Joe Long (Eng), Adam Hadwin (Can)
22.31 Matt Sharpstene, Dylan Meyer, Luis Fernando Barco (Per)
22.42 Davis Shore, Wilson Furr, Mario Carmona

McIlroy can’t make his par saver, and he looks thoroughly miserable at taking six on the par-five. It was the par-fives that cost him at the PGA last month. Is this going to be the same old story? The first putt was poor, but the root cause of that bogey was his missing the fairway with his lay-up. Not the sort of amateur mistake you can get away with at a penal US Open. He’s -1.

A lip-out for Detry at the par-three 11th from six feet, and he drops back to -2. Meanwhile up on 13, McIlroy leaves his first putt woefully short, a complete misjudgement. He’ll need to make his par from 12 feet. He has the good grace to look utterly disgusted with himself.

DeChambeau responds to that three-bogey whammy with a no-nonsense birdie at 14. Blooter, wedge, kick-in. He made that look as easy as he made the 13th seem painfully hard. He’s +3. Back on 13, McIlroy does very well to muscle his third up onto the dancefloor. He’ll have two putts from distance to salvage hispar.

McIlroy gets greedy with his lay-up, trying to snaffle those extra yards, and misses the fairway, leaving his second in the thick rough. That’s highly poor. Meanwhile birdie for Jordan Spieth at 4, rattled in at speed. It brings him back to +2.

McIlroy’s right foot slips dramatically as he belts his drive down 13. He pulls it miles left as a result, but looks to have enjoyed something of a break, his ball sitting up in the deep rough. He’ll probably have to lay up from there, but it could have been so much worse.

Having missed two shorter putts in succession, Rory McIlroy nails an 11-footer on the long par-four 12th for birdie. He’s -2 again, as is Hayden Buckley who picks up a stroke at 15. Here are the top 11 players right now ...

-4: Henley (F)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F), Oosthuizen (11*), Detry (10)
-2: Koepka (F), Schauffele (F), Buckley (15), Matsuyama (13), McIlroy (12), Rahm (12*)

DeChambeau duffs his chip into a bunker, then sends his sand shot over the back of the green. Two putts from the fringe, and that’s three bogeys in a row. He flings his ball away in a fit of pique. His head has gone, momentarily at least. He’s started to play uncharacteristically quickly, which might help him build bridges with Brooks Koepka if nothing else. Anyway, he’s now +4, and this is threatening to spiral out of control.

Rahm makes his birdie putt on 2 to move to -2. It’s beginning to happen for the big Spaniard after his up-and-down start. Bland finds trouble near a cart path down the right of 14. His second bounds through the green and nearly disappears into the jungle, but stops in mere thick filth. That’s a great stroke of luck, but he lobs up weakly, the ball finding more rough. Having made three bad strokes in a row, he does very well to scramble up and down to limit the damage to bogey. He’s -1.

Awful luck for DeChambeau on the monster 613-yard par-five 13th. Having split the fairway with a monster drive, he nearly finds the dancefloor with a fairway wood ... but he’s a couple of yards short, and the ball topples back off the false front. That’s cost him the best part of 50 yards, and to add insult to injury, his ball rests in a divot. That’ll seriously compromise his chances of salvaging this situation by wedging close. The pain in DeChambeau’s eyes is clear. His defence has not started well at all.

Jon Rahm, back into red figures after birdie at 18, looks to move to -2 for the first time today. He hoicks a high wedge over the flag at 2, spinning the ball back to seven feet. He’ll have a good look at a second birdie in three holes from there. Meanwhile Christiaan Bezuidenhout sheds another shot, this time at 4, and he slips to -1.

Bland’s par putt at 13 is always missing on the low side. The ball breaks off to the left and he’s dropped his first stroke of the day. He’s back to -2. Meanwhile on 11, McIlroy draws a gorgeous tee shot to eight feet, but again misses his putt on the right. Just a par this time, but all of a sudden his flat stick, his Achilles heel, has gone a little cold. He remains at -1.

Bryson, always out of position on 12 after that errant drive, sheds another shot. He’s +3 and this is beginning to become a concern for the defending champion. He’s got the tools to go on a birdie tear, but doesn’t look in total control of his game today. Meanwhile on 13, Richard Bland comes a cropper on the false front, his approach toppling back down the fairway. He tries again, chipping to 15 feet, but he’s got a job on now to save par.

Oosthuizen is the third member of that particular group, and he’s not fazed by the quacking intruder on 18. Two careful putts, having found the dancefloor in two, and he joins the group at -3. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy comes up short at 10. He chips up to five feet, but his par effort is an uncertain prod that turns apologetically to the right, well before the cup. He slips back to -1, his first mistake of the day.

-4: Henley (F)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F), Bland (12), Oosthuizen (9*), Detry (8)

This could be a crucial period of play for DeChambeau, who needs to hang on in there. He sends his tee shot at 12, the hardest hole on the course, into deep trouble down the right. Meanwhile some high-jinks on 18, where a duck invades the green. Patrick Cantlay is forced to wait a couple of minutes, while his playing partner Im Sung-jae chases the cute little feathered fellow away with his putter. This is where we need Peter Alliss. I miss Peter Alliss.

It’d been quiet for a while, but things are beginning to heat up now. Thomas Detry makes it three birdies in a row by clipping his tee shot at 8 to three feet, straight at the flag. In goes the putt, and he joins the group tied for second.

-4: Henley (F)
-3: F Molinari (F), Cabrera Bello (F), Bland (12), Detry (8)
-2: Koepka (F), Schauffele (F), Bezuidenhout (12*), Matsuyama (11), McIlroy (9), Oosthuizen (8*)

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