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.