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Golf Talk Today: U.S. Open Rd. 2 Tee Times, Pinehurst causes carnage golf,talk,today,u,s,open,rd,tee,times,pinehurst,causes,carnage,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, where the crew will discuss various elements throughout the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, and more.

It’s Friday at the 124th U.S. Open. The round 2 tee times are below, but let’s also discuss how much damage Pinehurst No. 2 did on Thursday.

So brew a pot of coffee, grab some breakfast, and settle in as we get you ready for the second round of the U.S. Open.

Pinehurst No. 2 put a beating on the U.S. Open field

Among the 156 players who teed off on Thursday, 15 are in red figures, and a total of 33 golfers are at even par or better. Pinehurst No. 2 brought the heat, and some of the biggest names in golf fell victim to the carnage.

Big numbers posted by prominent players:

Phil Mickelson: 9-over, 79
Viktor Hovland: 8-over 78
Sahith Theegala: 7-over 77
Justin Thomas: 7-over 77
Harry Higgs: 6-over 76
Will Zalatoris: 5-over 75
Tiger Woods: 4-over 74
Shane Lowry: 4-over 74
Dustin Johnson: 4-over 74

Best quotes from Thursday at The U.S. Open

“It’s really diabolical out there. It was a testament to the patience I had,” Bryson DeChambeau said about the difficulty of Pinehurst No. 2.

“It sort of brings me back to links golf when I was a kid a little bit. The greens are a bit more sort of slopey and there’s a bit more movement on them. But there are options. You can chip it. You can putt it. I’d love if we played more golf courses like this,” Rory McIlroy said on why he loves Pinehurst.

“He’s a strike show. That’s the first time I ever played with him actually… He’s far from a rookie. He’s not even your average first guy playing in a major championship. He’s been on some of the biggest stages already and has shown he’s going to be a world-class player. It was a joy to watch,” Tony Finau said about playing with Ludvig Åberg.

U.S. Open Round 2 Tee Times (ET):

* — Denotes 10th hole start

6:45 a.m. – Greyson Sigg, Grant Forrest, (a) Wells Williams

*6:45 a.m. – Jason Scrivener, Brandon Robinson Thompson, (a) Brendan Valdes

6:56 a.m. – Chesson Hadley, Mark Hubbard, Adam Svensson

*6:56 a.m. – (a) Santiago de la Fuente, Sam Bairstow, Eugenio Chacarra

7:07 a.m. – Beau Hossler, Victor Perez, Adam Schenk

*7:07 a.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Taylor Moore, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

7:18 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes

*7:18 a.m. – Jason Day, Harris English, Tom Kim

7:29 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Tom Hoge

*7:29 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler

7:40 a.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa

*7:40 a.m. — Brian Harman, Nick Dunlap, Wyndham Clark

7:51 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Peter Malnati, J.T. Poston

*7:51 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth

8:02 a.m. – (a) Gordon Sargent, Jake Knapp, Cameron Young

*8:02 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, Martin Kaymer

8:13 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Billy Horschel, Adam Scott

*8:13 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Eric Cole, Erik van Rooyen

8:24 a.m. – Ben Kohles, Denny McCarthy, (a) Ben James

*8:24 a.m. – Brendon Todd, Taylor Pendrith, Alex Noren

8:35 a.m. – Frankie Capan III, Andy Svoboda, (a) Luke Clanton

*8:35 a.m. – Thomas Detry, Brian Campbell, (a) Jackson Buchanan

8:46 a.m. – Harry Higgs, (a) Hiroshi Tai, Brandon Wu

*8:46 a.m. – Taisei Shimizu, (a) Gunnar Broin, Maxwell Moldovan

8:57 a.m. – Joey Vrzich, Chris Naegel, Otto Black

*8:57 a.m. – Sung Kang, Riki Kawamoto, John Chin

12:30 p.m. – Rico Hoey, Tom McKibbin, Matteo Manassero

*12:30 p.m. – Michael McGowan, Carter Jenkins, Logan McAllister

12:41 p.m. – Dean Burmester, Rikuya Hoshino, Seamus Power

*12:41 p.m. – Frederik Kjettrup, Christopher Petefish, (a) Parker Bell

12:52 p.m. – S.H. Kim, Justin Lower, Tim Widing

*12:52 p.m. – (a) Omar Morales, Max Greyserman, Casey Jarvis

1:03 p.m. – Lucas Glover, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith

*1:03 p.m. – Corey Conners, Stephan Jaeger, Emiliano Grillo

1:14 p.m. – Will Zalatoris, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tiger Woods

*1:14 p.m. – Ryo Ishikawa, Francesco Molinari, Sergio Garcia

1:25 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Matt Kuchar, Russell Henley

*1:25 p.m. – Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka

1:36 p.m. – Tony Finau, Ludvig Åberg, Dustin Johnson

*1:36 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, Adam Hadwin, Phil Mickelson

1:47 p.m. – Justin Rose, Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson

*1:47 p.m. – Min Woo Lee, Sahith Theegala, Nicolai Højgaard

1:58 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Ryan Fox, David Puig

*1:58 p.m. – Si Woo Kim, Matthieu Pavon, Sungjae Im

2:09 p.m. – Byeong Hun An, Sam Bennett, Edoardo Molinari

*2:09 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Robert Rock, (a) Neal Shipley

2:20 p.m. – Austin Eckroat, Adrian Meronk, Cam Davis

*2:20 p.m. – Takumi Kanaya, (a) Stewart Hagestad, Mac Meissner

2:31 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Davis Thompson, Ga.; Zac Blair

*2:31 p.m. – Isaiah Salinda, (a) Bryan Kim, Jim Herman

2:42 p.m. – Willie Mack III, Richard Mansell, (a) Ashton McCulloch

*2:42 p.m. – Carson Schaake, Charles Reiter, (a) Colin Prater

ICYMI: Top stories from the 1st Round of the U.S. Open

Check out these stories:

U.S. Open Day 1 Winners, Losers: Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay lead; Phil Mickelson falters

An authentic Bryson DeChambeau details “diabolical,” mentally exhausting day at U.S. Open

Rory McIlroy posts strong, disciplined U.S. Open start; has history on his side

Jon Rahm’s U.S. Open replacement taking full advantage of opportunity at Pinehurst

LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka hilariously entertains fans by reading mean tweets directed at him

Patrick Cantlay relies on short-game wizardry to grab early control of U.S. Open

Tiger Woods teases fans, then falters to begin U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Ludvig Åberg makes promising U.S. Open start with excellent veteran-like score

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Jon Rahm’s U.S. Open fill-in taking full advantage of opportunity jon,rahm,s,u,s,open,fill,in,taking,full,advantage,of,opportunity,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

When Jon Rahm withdrew and closed the door on his chances of winning another U.S. Open on Tuesday, another door opened for Jackson Suber.

Suber, who attended Ole Miss and has missed four straight cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour, took Rahm’s spot in the field as the first alternate at Pinehurst No. 2. He has since taken full advantage of the opportunity.

The former Ole Miss Rebel shot an impressive 1-under 71 in his major championship debut, all while playing alongside Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama in one of the featured groups. It’s an impressive accomplishment for anyone, let alone someone who has played in only two events on the PGA Tour.

Yet, the most remarkable aspect of Suber’s performance was not the round itself—instead, it was the rollercoaster he had to take just to become an alternate in this year’s field.

Suber posted 7-under par at the 36-hole final qualifier in Rockville, Maryland. No doubt a solid score, but it was not good enough. He missed a spot in the U.S. Open by a stroke and instead had to go to a 3-for-2 playoff to determine two alternate spots.

“In that qualifier, I had a six-footer on the last hole, and ended up missing that to get to a playoff [for a final spot],” Suber explained.

“I went into the playoff and was pretty bummed but ended up on the third hole making a 50-foot putt for birdie, while my opponent missed a five-footer. It was a very roller coaster week, just like this has been. I heard that I had a chance to get in, almost be the last man in the field, and then ended up being the first alternate with how things shook down at the Memorial. It’s just been a roller coaster.”

He then arrived in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on Sunday evening, hoping somebody would pull out to give him a chance. If nobody did, he had a flight booked to Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday evening for this week’s tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour.

But in a weird twist of fate, one of the biggest stars in professional golf turned Suber’s hopes into a reality.

“I was on the 8th hole, and I got a tip from someone. They said Rahm was pulling out. I wasn’t sure yet, but I was freaking out,” Suber said.

“No. 8 and 9 didn’t get much done in my practice round. When we were on the 9th, we started getting announcements, and my phone started blowing up; people were asking me if I was getting in, and then I called Reese from the USGA pretty quickly and tried to figure out what was going on and if I was going to be playing.

“That was just a really cool moment, especially to figure out I’m getting in the tournament out on the golf course and then be able to call my family and people around me who help me so much. It was a really special moment.”

Since Rahm withdrew after the USGA released the pairings for this year’s tournament, Suber slid in alongside Spieth and Matsuyama.

Best of all, Suber beat them both on Thursday, finishing in red figures while the two major champions failed to break par.

“I talked to Hideki and his caddie a little bit and talked to Jordan and [his caddy] Michael [Greller], as well, and my caddie talked to them, too,” Suber said about playing with Spieth and Matsuyama.

“There wasn’t a ton of chatter, but there were a couple of conversations here and there, and it was good to talk to them. They’re good people.”

Suber managed to score in red figures, but he still had an up-and-down day on Thursday—much like the rollercoaster ride he has experienced as of late.

Over his first five holes, Suber made par, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie; a stressful yet entertaining way to begin your U.S. Open and sit at even par through five.

He then made a birdie at the par-3 9th, thanks to a tremendous tee shot that landed four feet from the stick. Another birdie at the short par-4 13th followed.

Then, Suber dropped a pair of shots at the 14th and 15th holes. But he bounced back with a birdie at the 523-yard par-4 16th. Like his opening few holes, and his last couple of weeks for that matter, he enjoyed quite the rollercoaster on the back nine, too.

“I always believed I could do this. You never know if you’re actually going to do it, but I feel like I always knew that this was in me,” Suber said.

“I didn’t know if it was going to happen because nothing in life is for sure, but I was going to give it my best chance. I worked hard to be here and feel like I just need to keep working hard and stay humble.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson among Day 1 winners, losers u,s,open,rory,mcilroy,phil,mickelson,among,day,winners,losers,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

The opening round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 did not disappoint. The widely-discussed ‘Turtleback’ greens made some players look foolish, while others struggled to navigate the native areas that line the fairways.

And yet, after all 156 players finished their rounds, two players sit atop the leaderboard by themselves. Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy shot impressive 5-under 65s, with Cantlay posting his score in the morning while McIlroy did so during the afternoon.

Interestingly, when Martin Kaymer won at Pinehurst in 2014, he, too, carded a 65 to open the championship. Kaymer held a three-shot lead after that first round and won by eight. Cantlay and McIlroy, meanwhile, have plenty of company within striking distance. They hold a one-stroke lead over Ludvig Åberg, while Bryson DeChambeau and Matthieu Pavon lurk two shots back. Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton, and Akshay Bhatia sit at 2-under.

Here are the winners and losers from round one:

Winners

Rory McIlroy has history on his side

Rory McIlroy posted the best round of his season, bar none. He shot a 5-under 65, which included a pair of birdies on the 16th and 18th holes. But in doing so, he carded a bogey-free opening round in a major for the fourth time in his career.

The previous three instances?

The 2011 U.S. Open, the 2012 PGA Championship, and the 2014 Open Championship.

Hmmmm. What do these three tournaments have in common? Oh yeah, McIlroy won each, each by a sizable margin, too.

Before this week, I wrote that, for McIlroy to win the U.S. Open, he needed to take advantage of Pinehurst’s par-5s, remain patient, and gain strokes putting.

He checked all three of those boxes Thursday, even though his birdie at five came via a chip-in—no pictures exist on a scorecard, however. All jokes aside, McIlroy had a stoic vibe about him all day. He remained conservative when needed, and never got overly aggressive with his approaches. Most importantly, he gained one stroke on the field with his putter, the ultimate determining factor for McIlroy’s success. Now, thanks to this solid start, he has given himself a terrific opportunity to break that 10-year-long major championship drought.

Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay is currently ranked 9th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), but he has not played up to that standard so far this season.

His numbers are down across the board from a year ago when he ranked 3rd on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained. At this point in the season, he is currently 77th and has recorded only a pair of top 10s to date.

Patrick Cantlay, U.S. Open — Patrick Cantlay on the 13th tee.

Yet, he showed everyone why he is still a top player on Thursday, carding a 5-under 65 to shoot to the top of the leaderboard. But he does not have a terrific major championship resume. He only has four career top 10s in major, none of which have come in a U.S. Open.

Nevertheless, if his short game continues to perform as it did on Thursday, a day in which he led the field in strokes gained around the greens, watch out for Cantlay to possibly join his close friend Xander Schauffele as first-time major winners this season.

The golf course itself

So much talk was made of Pinehurst No. 2 coming into the championship: the history, the sandy waste areas that line the fairways, the greens, and the areas surrounding these putting surfaces, too. All of it has lived up to the hype and then some. The course tested the best players in the world both adequately and fairly while also producing some quality entertainment.

Look no further than Collin Morikawa, who ‘ping-ponged’ his way around the 15th hole en route to a double bogey. Two holes later, he holed out from the sand for a birdie.

Keep an eye on Morikawa, too. He did not have his best stuff on Thursday, but he closed with a pair of par breakers to get back to even for the championship.

Ludvig Åberg

How can you not be impressed with 24-year-old Ludvig Åberg?

In his U.S. Open debut, Åberg looked like a seasoned veteran, firing to the middle of the greens while making little mistakes. When he tallied up his score, it totaled to a 4-under 66, an impressive mark for anyone, let alone someone playing Pinehurst No. 2 for the first time.

The young Swede relied heavily on his driver and ball striking, ranking in the top three in both categories on Thursday. Typically, good results follow when a player has both of these facets working. That was the case for Åberg, who said afterward that he has “nothing to complain about.”

Matthieu Pavon’s putter

Nobody gained more strokes on the putting greens (4.31) on Thursday than Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who rolled in a pair of eagles on both of Pinehurst’s par-5s.

Matthieu Pavon, U.S. Open — Matthieu Pavon putts on the 16th hole.

The first eagle came at the par-5 5th, where he rifled a 4-iron to 17 feet and made the putt. Five holes later, at the 617-yard 10th hole, Pavon launched a 3-wood from 288 yards away to 27 feet. He made that, too. He had his putter rolling, a necessity to score well on these diabolical, ‘Turtleback’ greens at Pinehurst No. 2.

If he can keep his putter hot, who knows? Perhaps Pavon can contend, and win, much like he did at Torrey Pines—another U.S. Open course—earlier this season. But he still has a long way to go before we can have that discussion, and he needs to improve his ball striking, which ranked 62nd among the field on Thursday.

Losers:

Peacock

You have the best three golfers in the world, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy, playing in the tournament’s marquee pairing on Thursday afternoon. Scheffler and Schauffele struggled somewhat, relative to how they have played as of late, while McIlroy put together his best round of the season. But to watch them finish their opening rounds, you needed to do so behind a paywall.

Peacock aired the first round’s final three hours, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, a prime time slot that cable television should have picked up.

The U.S. Open prides itself on providing hours of coverage, but it fumbled this time slot badly. I’m fine with putting coverage behind a paywall in the morning but not in the afternoon, when everyone’s attention is on the tournament while the workday wraps up.

Phil Mickelson

Twenty-five years ago, Phil Mickelson came agonizingly close to winning his first U.S. Open title. But he will not come close this time around.

The 6-time major champion made nine bogies during his opening round, carding a 9-over 79. He could not get anything going with any club in his bag, as he hit only 6-of-14 fairways. But perhaps even more shocking is that Mickelson found only three greens in regulation. He lost nearly three strokes to the field on approach.

He will need to shoot in the mid-60s on Friday just to make the cut, which, given how he hit the ball on Thursday, seems rather unlikely.

Mickelson last made a U.S. Open cut in 2021.

Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas has been trending in the right direction over the last month, which includes a top-10 finish in his hometown at the PGA Championship.

But he looked nowhere close to replicating that form on Thursday. Thomas signed for a 7-over 77 on Thursday, struggling heavily with his irons. He even had Tiger Woods watch him hit balls on the range after his round, per Golf.com’s James Colgan.

Tiger stepping in to give Justin Thomas a few pointers on the range after a tough opening round.

Not very often you see that at the U.S. Open pic.twitter.com/xv03DHGcWI

— James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) June 13, 2024

Like Mickelson, Thomas made nine bogies during the first round, but unlike the left-hander, he did make two birdies: one at the par-5 5th and another at the par-4 18th.

Regardless, Thomas will need to have a better ball-striking day on Friday, or else he will miss a cut at a major for the second time this season. It would also mark his fifth missed cut over his last seven major starts. Yikes.

Temporary TIO Relief

The temporary immovable obstruction (TIO) rules in professional golf are ridiculous. These guys have more talent than anyone else in the world, and yet, when a tower, sign, or even wiring obstructs their line somewhat, they must seek relief.

That happened to both Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler on Thursday.

DeChambeau rifled his tee-shot way right on the par-5 5th hole, destined for trouble. But it came to rest with a “wire” obstructing his view. As such, DeChambeau got to take a drop in a much easier spot a few yards to the left, which provided him with a clear line to the green. He went on to make birdie.

Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open — Scottie Scheffler hits his second shot on the 16th hole during the first round.

Scheffler, meanwhile, had a similar instance take place on the challenging par-4 16th. After pulling drives all day, and uncharacteristically missing left with his driver on multiple occasions, Scheffler did so again on 16. His ball stopped rolling right behind a tree, but because the tee signage from the 18th hole obstructed his view, he received TIO relief. He then dropped his ball—scratch that—he placed his ball a few yards right, giving himself a perfect angle into the green. Unfortunately for him, Scheffler caught his second shot too clean and airmailed the green. He went on to make bogey.

But it’s not like this is anything new, either. Dustin Johnson received TIO relief on the 10th hole at Oakmont during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open. He hooked his drive 50 yards left off the tee, which nestled down in gnarly thick rough. But because a TV Tower blocked his view some 100 yards away, Johnson asked for TIO relief, received it, then dropped in the first cut of an adjacent fairway and walked away with par.

If only us amateurs could receive TIO when we play…

Viktor Hovland

What happened to Viktor Hovland on Thursday?

After finishing in solo third at Valhalla and posting a strong finish at the Memorial, Hovland looked lost at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday—a shocking development considering he looked back on track after reuniting with his coach, Joe Mayo.

He shot an 8-over 78, a round that included a pair of double-bogies on the 11th and 14th holes. He also made six more bogies.

Hovland lost nearly three strokes around the greens on Thursday, ranking 151st out of 156 players in that department—proof that his short game is still a work in progress.

The Norwegian has struggled chipping and pitching this season, ranking 173rd on tour in strokes gained around the green. Given that Pinehurst No. 2 places a premium on one’s short game, it’s no surprise that Hovland struggled as much as he did, given his shortcomings with his game around the greens. Still, to see one of the best players in the world implode this badly is an alarming sight to see.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau details “diabolical,” exhausting day u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,details,diabolical,exhausting,day,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau shot an impressive 3-under 67 to begin the 124th U.S. Open. He is one of 15 players who shot under par on Thursday, but that did not stop him from being completely authentic after his round.

Only DeChambeau could pick an immaculate adjective like this when discussing Pinehurst No. 2:

“It’s really diabolical out there,” DeChambeau said.

“Those greens, oh, my gosh, they can get away from you.”

It was a solid day for DeChambeau, who made four birdies and a bogey on his 16th hole, the par-4 7th.

DeChambeau leads the field in strokes gained off the tee, gaining 2.85 on the field. He is also eighth in strokes gained around the greens, picking up 2.17 on his fellow competitors.

In all, the 2020 U.S. Open champion hit 15-of-18 greens and 12-of-14 fairways.

He is right in the mix and just two shots behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay.

A birdie on 13 got his day started, but his momentum surged when he chipped in for a birdie on the 18th, his ninth hole.

His last two birdies came at the 3rd and 4th—both par-4s—before a mistake at 7 cost him his bogey-free round. He seemed pleased with his performance, but it was not a leisurely day on the course.

“I would say from a mental exhaustion perspective, this was probably the most difficult that I’ve had in a long, long, long time,” he said.

“I can’t remember the last time I mentally exerted myself that hard to focus on hitting fatter parts of the green instead of going for flags. I did that quite nicely until the last few holes.”

He knows how to recoup for Friday’s round, though, mentally and physically.

“Eat a lot. Get a lot of carbs and food in me, good protein, just recover tonight,” DeChambeau said of what he needs to do to prepare for round two.

“I have to get up early and go back at it in the morning. Recovery is going to be key. I’m going to go hit a couple of balls and make sure it’s all dialed in and ready for tomorrow. I do a lot of breathing techniques. It’s almost like nature now. So, I’ve got my techniques that I work on. Make sure my brain is in a good spot, get some good treatment, and really focus on the positives of the day.”

Everyone in the field seems to have some kind of strategy this week—breathing techniques are just one part of DeChambeau’s unique approach to the game.

But the LIV golf star’s recuperation period will be short as he, Viktor Hovland, and Max Homa will begin their second rounds on Friday at 7:40 a.m. ET.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy has history on his side after solid start u,s,open,rory,mcilroy,has,history,on,his,side,after,solid,start,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy matched Patrick Cantlay’s first-round score at the 124th U.S. Open as he fired off a bogey-free 5-under 65. They both sit atop the leaderboard after the first 18 holes at Pinehurst No. 2.

The last time McIlroy shot a bogey-free opening round at a U.S. Open was in 2011 at Congressional Country Club. He also did not make bogies during his opening rounds at the 2012 PGA Championship and the 2014 Open Championship, all three tournaments he went on to win.

But at Congressional, where went on to win his first major championship of his career, he also started with a bogey-free 65.

“I felt like I controlled most aspects of my game well. Controlled myself, controlled my mind—was disciplined when I needed to be,” McIlroy said on air with NBC Sports’ Damon Hack.

“Relentlessly trying to hit fairways, hit greens—there was a stretch at the start of the back nine where I kept hitting it to 20 feet and missing putts. I could have gotten frustrated, but I felt my patience was rewarded with the birdies on two of the last three holes.”

McIlroy hit 11-of-14 fairways and 14-of-17 greens in regulation. He recorded five birdies on the day, including two in his last three holes.

The four-time major winner ranked fifth in strokes gained around the greens, picking up 2.51 strokes on the field. He also gained 1.4 off the tee and 2.17 with his iron play.

“Super conservative with my strategy and my game,” he said.

“I think with my demeanor, trying to be super stoic, trying to be as even-keeled as I possibly can be. I feel like that’s the thing that has served me well in these U.S. Opens over the past few years. Just trying to be 100 percent committed to the shots.”

McIlroy knows how important a good start is in a major championship, but when it comes to the U.S. Open, it’s crucial to start well if a player wants to win the event. He has gotten off to a good start the last couple of years at this event, which has led to him finishing runner-up in 2023 and tying for fifth in 2022, seventh in 2021, and eighth in 2020.

Before that, he missed three straight cuts at the U.S. Open, as he opened with rounds of 80, 78 and 77.

“I think more so in this championship than the others—getting off to a good start is important to try and keep yourself up there,” McIlroy said.

“You need to give yourself as much of a cushion as possible, knowing what’s lurking around these corners. Certainly, the major championships that I’ve won or the ones that I’ve played well at, I’ve always seemed to get off to a good start, and it’s nice to get off to another one.”

It also helps that McIlroy loves Pinehurst No. 2 and how it plays. In 2014, he tied for 23rd here and started with a 1-over 71 that week. But the 35-year-old is already off to a better start and has his eyes on ending that decade-long major championship drought.

McIlroy will not have a long break before his second round begins as he, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele will tee off on the 10th hole at 7:29 a.m. ET.

U.S. Open: Tiger Woods starts hot, teases fans, then falters u,s,open,tiger,woods,starts,hot,teases,fans,then,falters,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 13, 2024 By: admin

Tiger Woods got off to a roaring start on Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2, making birdie to begin the championship at the par-5 10th. He briefly held a share of the lead.

Some clutch par putts followed at the 12th and 13th holes, but then the train began to veer off the tracks at the challenging par-4 16th.

Four bogies over the next six holes followed, and suddenly, Woods went from 1-under to 3-over at the drop of the dime. He ultimately carded a 4-over 74.

The 15-time major winner blamed it on his poor ball striking and putting afterward.

“I didn’t hit my irons particularly well. Didn’t putt that great,” Woods assessed.

“Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately, I just didn’t capitalize on it.”

Woods hit 12 of 14 fairways but only nine greens in regulation. He lost more than two strokes on approach and missed plenty of irons to the right. But he did not try to play aggressively and attack flag sticks, which is a necessity for success at Pinehurst No. 2.

“I was somewhat conservative in some of my endpoints,” Woods said.

“Then again, I didn’t hit the ball very well either. It added up to quite a bit of distance away from the flag. It’s not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be.”

Because Woods left himself plenty of real estate between his ball and the hole, he three-putted on a few occasions—an easy way to drop strokes.

“This golf course is all about the greens. The complexes are just so difficult and so severe that, I think 1-under par is only in fifth [right now]. There aren’t that many scores that are low. It’s hard to get the ball close,” Woods explained.

“In most golf courses you play, you hit shots into where it’s feeding off of slopes into flags, whereas collecting. Here everything is repelling. It’s just hard to get the ball on top of the shelves. If you miss it short side, it’s an auto bogey or higher. Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course.”

Woods did get cheeky on the dogleg right par-4 7th but wound up short-siding himself into the greenside bunker. He then hit his third shot 18 feet past the hole, as another bogey stared him right in the face. But he drained the comebacker to save par. He made a few of those momentum-saving putts on Thursday and still shot 74.

But then, he dropped another shot on the challenging par-4 8th, his 17th hole of the day.

As for how he feels after the round, Woods said his mobility is improving.

“I’m physically getting better as the year has gone on,” Woods said.

Tiger Woods, U.S. Open — Tiger Woods on the 9th green during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Open.

“I just haven’t been able to play as much because I just don’t want to hurt myself, so I won’t be able to play in the major championships. It’s pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing, and fight being not as sharp.”

He now has 24 hours to prepare for his second round, which will begin at 1:14 p.m. ET on Friday. But instead of heading to the recovery room, Woods said he would like to go to the putting green to work on some things. Perhaps his son Charlie can lend a helping hand.

“I’d like to hit a few putts. My speed was not quite there,” Woods said.

“If I clean that up, if I get a couple of iron shots not as loose as I did, I’m right there at even par. It can go so far the other way here, the wrong way. It’s just so hard to get back. This is a golf course that doesn’t give up a whole lot of birdies. It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher.”

If he can clean up those mistakes, Woods will play the weekend. But if he fails to figure out the pace of Pinehurst’s famed ‘Turtleback Greens,’ Woods will miss the cut, just as he did in his last U.S. Open appearance at Winged Foot in 2020.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Patrick Cantlay’s short game helps give him early lead u,s,open,patrick,cantlay,s,short,game,helps,give,him,early,lead,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 13, 2024 By: admin

If you have followed any coverage leading up to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, you know that this course is all about the greens.

You must have your short game on point around these crazy putting surfaces. You have to make plenty of putts, too.

Patrick Cantlay did just that on Thursday, which explains why he carded an impressive opening round 5-under 65. He gained 3.8 strokes around the greens, which ranks first among the field. He also hit plenty of solid iron shots, gaining 2.15 strokes on approach.

His round got off to a thrilling start at the par-4 11th, where he holed out for birdie from the sand, which provided a huge momentum boost early.

He then dropped a shot at the par-3 15th, his only bogey of the day, but bounced back with a birdie on the 18th to post a 1-under 34 to start. Having started on 10, he made the turn towards the front, where more opportunities presented themselves.

Cantlay birdied the 1st hole, thanks to a spectacular approach that landed five feet away. Two more birdies followed at the par-5 5th and par-3 6th, the latter of which came on one of the most challenging holes on the property. He drained a 20-footer there for his fifth par-breaker of the day, vaulting himself to 4-under for the tournament.

But his self-described best moment of the day came at the par-4 7th.

“I got the ball up and down on 7, made a bunch of putts inside, eight feet,” Cantlay said.

“I think around this golf course, you’re going to leave yourself putts inside eight feet. That four-to-eight-foot range. It is important that you hole out. I did that well today.”

After missing the fairway right, Cantlay hit his approach just short of the green on 7. He then chipped up to 5-feet away and drained the putt.

Then, on the next hole, the 486-yard par-4 8th, Cantlay hit his second shot to four feet, which set up his fifth—and final—birdie of the day.

He now leads Ludvig Åberg by a stroke at 5-under par on a course that will only get tougher as the championship wears on. Cantlay admitted that he did not have a score in mind this morning but knows the most challenging moments are yet to come.

“I didn’t think much of [the score],” Cantlay said. I knew going off at 7:40 in the morning, it was going to play maybe the easiest it will play all week, with the lack of wind and probably the softest we will see it. I’m really happy with the round I played today.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka hilariously entertains fans, reads mean tweets liv,golf,s,brooks,koepka,hilariously,entertains,fans,reads,mean,tweets,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-opinions,liv-golf

On: June 13, 2024 By: admin

LIV Golf’s Smash GC posted a video of their captain, Brooks Koepka, reading mean tweets, which showed golf fans a side of him that many rarely see. Many know the LIV Golf captain to have a serious demeanor, but Koepka has a fun side, too.

The short video saw him read a series of tweets that even caused him to laugh audibly.

One of the tweets that made him chuckle the hardest was, “Suck it in, fat boy.”

Koepka could not control his laughter with that one and responded with a dig about himself.

“I’ve been trying, bro. I got the dad bod going. I’m not worried about it anymore.”

The final tweet threw a cheap shot at Patrick Reed as Twitter user Red Tsunami said, “The worst human in professional golf. Even worse than Patrick Reed.”

However, Koepka came to his fellow LIV player’s aide.

“That’s actually kind of funny. Patrick Reed is a good dude, too,” Koepka said as he laughed.

Most tweets were off the wall and completely out of context, making it even funnier.

Reading mean tweets is a trend that has been around for a long time, beginning on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show in 2012 for Twitter’s sixth anniversary.

Celebrities and athletes would read what people said about them on X, formerly known as Twitter. It is rare for a trend to last this long, but there is something hilarious about seeing famous people read what everyday people say about them.

Hopefully, this video is one of many parts that will give us a look into Koepka’s personality and what people say about golfers on the internet. It may even spark the other LIV Golf teams to create “Reading Mean Tweets” content.