There is a barber stationed in the clubhouse of Pinehurst for any player in need of a cut during the US Open. Scottie Scheffler visited ‘Monti’ ahead of this opening round, opting to tackle the brutal No 2 course with a fresh trim.
And on Thursday, his game looked a bit different, too – the world No 1 struggled for consistency and control. It was a welcome reprieve for his rivals, who have been ground into submission for most of this season.
Here at Pinehurst, Rory McIlroy showed off his different look, too. After a ‘come-to-Jesus moment’, the 2011 champion has given his game a makeover when it comes to the US Open. He has learned to embrace boring golf. It has led him to five successive top-ten finishes, including second in Los Angeles last year.
A fifth major still eludes him but perhaps McIlroy really is closer than ever. He is in a tie for the lead here, having trimmed his explosiveness and shaved every shot off Patrick Cantlay’s lead during a superb opening round.
At the end of it all, a dogfight is brewing. McIlroy and Cantlay clashed at last year’s Ryder Cup, with the North Irishman branding his rival a ‘d***’. Here they are tied on five-under-par.
Rory McIlroy enjoyed a brilliant opening round at the US Open at Pinehurst on Thursday
The Northern Irishman, who called off his divorce this week, chased down Patrick Cantlay
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No one has ever shot a lower than their 65s in the US Open here. And the Northern Irishman did it without a single bogey. The last three times he opened with a blemish-free round at a major, he went on to lift the trophy.
‘It was a really controlled round of golf,’ McIlroy said. ‘(My plan is to be) super conservative with my strategy and my game. I think with my demeanor, just trying to be super stoic. Just trying to be as even-keeled as I possibly can be.
‘I really feel like that’s the thing that has served me well in these U.S. Opens over the past few years.
He added: ‘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.’
McIlroy and Cantlay are one shot clear of Sweden’s brilliant young debutant, Ludvig Aberg. Bryson Dechambeau, the 2020 champion, and Matthieu Pavon are tied for fourth on three-under.
Cantlay is tied for the lead with McIlroy, having set the early pace in Thursday’s opening round
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler suffered a difficult day and is six shots off McIlroy and Cantlay
Heavy favourite Scheffler, meanwhile, ground his way to one-over-par on an afternoon when nothing really worked, while Xander Schauffele scrambled to level par after a yo-yo round which included four birdies, four bogeys and several wayward drives.
One hit a volunteer, another lodged in a plastic ball full of merchandise. The fan had shelled out $650, apparently. They had seen a long day, when some of the world’s greatest players took a pounding from Pinehurst.
Among them? Tiger Woods (+4) Phil Mickelson (+9) and Justin Thomas (+7). Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 champion from Sheffield also struggled to three-over-par – level with 2013 winner Justin Rose.
But plenty of others clung on to remain in with a shot. They included England’s Aaron Rai, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood.
Scheffler is six shots adrift but only a fool would write him off. The world No 1 has five wins this season – either side of the birth of his first child and a brief trip to jail at the PGA Championship.
Schauffele profited that week to claim his first major at Valhalla. Can McIlroy take advantage of this opening?
McIlroy didn’t make a single bogey during an opening round that leaves him tied for first
The Northern Irishman has endured enough chaos of his own recently. He filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, shortly before the PGA Championship and then called it off just days before this tournament.
He has a history of thriving in turmoil, though, and this was a mightily impressive start.
There was the odd piece of magic – including on five, when he chipped in. Other birdies arrived at holes four, 10, 16 and 18. The final one was sealed with a swagger as McIlroy walked a long putt into the hole. Mostly, though, he played the percentages and did not let the odd error knock him off course.
Even as the other members of his blockbuster group put themselves through the mill. Scheffler threw his club after one errant approach and then nearly holed the chip. Schauffele had to dig himself out of several holes.
Tiger Woods is nine shots off the leaders after a difficult opening round for the 48-year-old
Cantlay was safely in the clubhouse by the time they headed out to tackle Pinehurst. The American made only one bogey and needed only 23 putts in his fine 65. His day began with a par on the par-five 10th; Woods had gone one better a few minutes earlier, rolling in a birdie putt to take a share of the lead shortly after 7.30am.
He stayed in the red and lingered around the leaders for a while. It seemed Woods’ new swing coach – 15-year-old son Charlie – might know his stuff. A few hours later, however, as the 48-year-old watched his final tee shot trickle away from the green, frustration finally boiled over. ‘F*** off,’ Woods mouthed. It had become that sort of day.
At one point, Woods had a putt to join then-leader Aberg at two-under par. Six holes later, they were separated by six shots. By the time Woods signed for a four-over-par 74, the gap to Cantlay was nine. This course is tough enough without a body that is hostage to a slight breeze.
‘I’m hoping I don’t get too tight in the car ride back – I can get tight in air-conditioning,’ Woods said. ‘It can go so far the other way here – the wrong way. It’s just so hard to get back.’
His hopes of making the weekend appear over but elsewhere at Pinehurst, this tournament is bubbling nicely.