US Open golf 2024: first round – live

A few notable names from the afternoon wave are gathering at -1. They include Open runner-up Tom Kim (9), already a three-time winner on the PGA Tour at 21, 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (8) and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth (7).

Take a bow Robert Rock. The Englishman was a very surprise qualifier for Pinehurst this week. This was some round.

Viktor Hovland will likely win a major one day but it won’t be here. The Norwegian’s travails continue as another dropped shot sinks him further down the leaderboard to +6 after just 7 holes. But just before Hovland in your alphabetical lists, there’s a bearded man with a big smile on his face and that isn’t always his go-to expression. Yes, Tyrrell Hatton has knocked in a birdie effort at 17, his eighth, to join McIlroy at -2. Rory stays there with a nicely-executed up and down from off the 7th green. Scheffler stays at +1 with a par but is reluctant to pick his ball out of the hole after sinking his putt. Probably a bug in there and Scheffler walks off smiling as caddie Ted Scott takes a bullet for his man before, rather less heroically, squashing the poor thing. With the flagpole.

With a (kind of) bucket hat and lemon-coloured golf ball, Peter Malnati could possibly be a Stone Roses fan. I’d bet folding money he isn’t though. Still, he sounds like a bass player from a Manchester band and there’s another entry into the par (Durutti) column, his sixth straight of the day. Even par overall is currently worth tied 18th on the leaderboard by the way. Malnati was a surprise winner of the Valspar Championship in Florida earlier this season although he’s played in five majors and missed the cut in the lot of them.

As if prompted by that below stat, Scheffler curls in a 12-footer for birdie at 7 to return to +1 and back within ‘can still win the US Open from here’ range. But US PGA winner Schauffele is now out of it after a third bogey in four holes drops him to +2. McIlroy splits the difference, his par keeping the Northern Irishman at -2 and still on a leaderboard that has become static with afternoon conditions tough and the p.m wave struggling to make an impression.

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F) -3: Pavon (F) -2: Finau (F), McIlroy (7)

Okay, let’s answer that question. Here are the day one positions of past Pinehurst winners:

1999 Payne Stewart – fifth after 18 holes, one shot off the lead 2005 Michael Campbell – 17th after 18 holes, four off the lead 2014 Martin Kaymer – leader by three after 18 holes!

Widening the lens makes it even more scary for the slow starters. Beginning with that 1999 edition at Pinehurst, only one winner since then has ended round one outside the top 23 (Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock in 2018 after he opened with a 75 to lie 46th). No winner in that study period was more than six back after the opening lap so, with Cantlay at -5, history says you really don’t want to be worse than +1 when round one is in the books. Scheffler is at +2. Just sayin’.

McIlroy gets up and down for his par at 6 to stay at -2 and, despite giving it a bit of a lean with an iron from the tee, finds the short grass at the 7th. The right side is the place to be so he’s A1 there really. Scheffler has only hit one fairway out of five so far but that’s a better swing and we can update that to 2-for-6 now. No need for any panic of course although a mythical reader has asked how close to the lead were the three previous winners of US Opens at Pinehurst. Answer: coming up shortly…

It’s been a disastrous start for Viktor Hovland, who is already a full 10 strokes off the pace set by Cantlay after a bogey and two doubles in his first five holes. Major winners Jason Day (after 6) and Keegan Bradley (after 4) are also struggling early in their rounds, both at +3. And just one shot ahead of that pair on +2 is the malfunctioning Scheffler, who three-putts the 6th. Are we blaming the haircut?

McIlroy glugs from an enormous water bottle as he waits at the 230-yard par-3 6th tee. Smart idea; it’s now over 90 degrees in North Carolina. His well-struck six-iron lands in the middle of the green but this is the hardest hole on the course today and you can see why as his ball springs off the rock-hard putting surface and tumbles away down a slope. More short-game wizardry needed. Scheffler finds the green although not within realistic birdie range but Schauffele – +1 alongside Scheffler – is maybe half a club short and his tee-shot rolls back off the front edge.

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Rory McIlroy! From just short of the 5th green in three and perhaps looking at bogey-6, he pops up a beautifully-judged chip and then watches it land and arc gracefully into the hole for birdie. That’s back-to-back red numbers for the 2011 US Open winner and he’s now tied fourth. But Scheffler’s attempt to birdie the front nine’s only par 5 fails ends in failure as his putt from around eight feet drifts right. He stays at +1.

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F) -3: Pavon (F) -2: Finau (F), McIlroy (5)

English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are bowling along nicely. Both birdied their opener, the par-5 10th, and have followed that gain with three pars. Fleetwood has an excellent US Open record, boasting a second, a fourth and a fifth. But only once has he ended the first round better than tied 40th so a strong first 18 holes here and he’d definitely be in great position to kick on and get that first major win.

A little look at the stats to see how the three leaders put their rounds together. Cantlay currently ranks 1st for both Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and SG: Around The Green; Åberg is 1st for SG: Off The Tee; Pavon ranks 1st for SG: Putting and by quite a distance (+4.36) too. Cantlay and Åberg are both in the top 4 for SG: Approach while Pavon is only 56th in that category, suggesting the Frenchman’s round today had something of the smoke-and-mirrors about it. Meanwhile, Tom Hoge ranks 1st in SG: Whack The Flagstick as his approach at 13 smacks against the pin and rebounds some 50 feet away. Naturally, he three-putts from there for bogey to drop to +1. This bloody game.

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F) -3: Pavon (F) -2: Finau (F)

Scheffler seems to have found time for a haircut between being arrested, becoming a dad and winning golf tournaments. It’s hidden beneath his golf cap but wife Meredith or a local barber has definitely had a good go at his barnet. In other news, he’s expertly chipped up to kick-in range and will save par at 4 to stay at +1. Rory deserves a birdie after yet another fine approach and this time he knocks it in with aplomb from seven feet. That red number at 4 puts him -1 and that’s good enough for tied fifth.

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A quick leaderboard upate. It’s thinned out a little at the top, with just four players at -2 or better. Cantlay’s record in the majors is curiously poor. Just four top 10s in 29 starts and only one of those was a top five: tied third in the 2019 US PGA. The 32-year-old has never managed better than 14th in a US Open but he’s laid himself a great foundation to beat that here and maybe much, much more. Back on the course and Scheffler’s approach from sandy scrub comes up short of the 4th green. Time to show those short-game skills Scottie.

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F) -3: Pavon (F) -2: Finau (F)

Thankyou sir. A mighty shift from Scott there. More entries than the Beatles in the 1964 Billboard chart. For my first entry, I’ll tell you that Scheffler has found some sandy scrub with his drive at the 4th. A messy start by your tournament favourite. Viktor Hovland, who looks like he’s escaped from the zoo (that shirt!), racks up double bogey at his second hole of the day (11) so that’s a 5-6 start.

… and with that, I’ll hand you over to David Tindall, who will take this blog home. Enjoy, enjoy, and see you tomorrow!

Greyson Sigg is always out of position on 14 after sending his tee shot into a fairway bunker. A dropped shot knocks him back to -1. Meanwhile the defending champion Wyndham Clark bogeys 2 after sending his tee shot wide left and clipping a tree with his backswing with his second. Then he pulls his third tee shot in a row at 3 into fairway sand. Given he required an up-and-down from a swale to par the opening hole, this is a pretty shaky start by Clark. Rory McIlroy can be forgiven for wondering where this Clark was on Sunday last year.

Scottie Scheffler’s driver hasn’t warmed up yet, and he fails to find the fairway again, this time at 1. He goes from fairway bunker to greenside bunker and splashes out conservatively to 14 feet. He underhits his putt and knows it from the moment he takes the stroke. He trudges after it in disappointment and the world number one’s first move of the week is a backwards one. He’s +1.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are going around together this afternoon. Both have opened with birdies at 10. A reminder that of the last 14 US Opens, European golfers have won six to the USA’s eight. That’s some return for Europe when you consider Tony Jacklin (1970) was the only European to bring it over the briny between 1926 and 2009.

Max Homa creams his second at the 619-yard par-five 10th from the best part of 300 to seven feet. Wonderful use of the camber to the left of the green. But he misreads the eagle putt, and, well, you shouldn’t really be disappointed by opening a US Open tilt with birdie, but it’s probably fair to make an exception here. Such a stunning approach. Homa’s going around with Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, who both open with pars.

Another birdie putt for Rory McIlroy, another shaved lip. This time at 2. Frustrating on the one hand, but the early signs are promising. They’re very promising for the newly crowned PGA champion Xander Schauffele, though: his second at the long par-four 2nd, from 192 yards, ends up five feet from the hole, and he makes the birdie putt. Only the second of the day at this 508-yard behemoth. He’s -1.

A nervous start to the week by defending champion Wyndham Clark. He pulls his tee shot into filth down the left – nearly knocking a steward flying, as she jumps out of the way without full control of her feet – then sends his second down a swale to the right of the green. But a delicious chip up to kick-in distance will settle those jangling nerves. His form at the majors since winning at LA Country Club last year hasn’t been great, with cuts missed at this season’s Masters and PGA. So that will do him the world of good as he begins his quest to mount a proud defence.

Greyson Sigg has missed the cut in three of his last four starts on the PGA Tour. He’s also never broken 70 at a US Open in his two previous appearances. But he’s started well here, with birdies at 10 and 12 to pop up on the leaderboard early doors.

A par at the 18th for Matthieu Pavon. A round of 67 featuring two eagles, and that’s another dream debut at the US Open. Meanwhile back on 1, Rory McIlroy is stunned as what looked like a straight 12-foot birdie putt somehow kinks out on the right lip. A par to begin; ditto Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F) -3: Pavon (F) -2: Finau (F), Mack III (14*), Sigg (3*)

The 35-year-old qualifier Willie Mack III is making his US Open debut this week. He’s grabbing this belated opportunity with both hands, raking in a 40-footer across 5 for his third birdie of the day, following ones at 13 and 15. Just the one dropped stroke at 17. He’s -2 and could a fairytale story be unfolding for a player who spent a couple of years living in his Ford Mustang?

A disappointing end to the round for Tony Finau. That overly aggressive putt on 9 proves costly as he can’t make the par saver coming back. A diminuendo end and he looks as disappointed as you’d imagine, but soon he’ll be reflecting fondly on a fine 68 that positions him nicely. Especially when he considers the scores of some other big names: 73 for Matt Fitzpatrick, a 75 for Will Zalatoris, that 77 for Justin Thomas, 77 for Sahith Theegala as well, and 79 for Phil Mickelson.

The second wave are making their way onto the course, and the afternoon’s marquee group of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and the world number-one Scottie Scheffler tee off at the 1st. They all take irons; they all whip them down the track. Coming up in the next group: the defending champion Wyndham Clark and Open champ Brian Harman. Excitement guaranteed!

Åberg makes no mistake with his birdie putt on 9. No more than that smooth tee shot deserved. A 66! On debut at the US Open!

-5: Cantlay (F) -4: Åberg (F)

Tony Finau’s tee shot at 9 looks average by comparison, 40 feet from the cup. He gives the uphill birdie putt a rare old whack, and it fizzes four feet past. He’ll have a tricky par putt coming back.

Ludvig Åberg hits the shot of the day so far at the par-three 9th. A towering iron fired straight at the flag from 187 yards, the ball landing dutifully six feet from the hole. A putt for a 66.

Cantlay so very nearly drains his 25-footer across 9 but the ball dies to the right on its last turn. Just (!) a par and a 65. That ties the record for best US Open round at Pinehurst No2. Cantlay usually wears a poker face, but can’t stop a warm smile playing across it now. Such an impressive round, and he’s got the game to win a US Open all right.

-5: Cantlay (F) -3: Finau (17*), Åberg (17*), Pavon (16)