Looking ahead to the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — Pinehurst No. 2’s lightning-fast greens, steep runoffs and difficult native areas confirmed their enamel within the first spherical of the 124th U.S. Open on Thursday.

A lot in order that world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler lastly seemed human in posting a 1-over 71, whereas most of the world’s greatest gamers have been left scratching their heads after posting even greater numbers.

With temperatures anticipated to be even hotter Friday, circumstances within the second spherical could be much more daunting because the greens and fairways agency up much more.

“Yeah, it is actually laborious,” mentioned England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who carded a 2-under 68. “Actually, like the place the pins are, you may hit a terrific shot. Holding it on the inexperienced 20 ft away is a good shot, which is mad to say once you’re hitting, like, a wedge into the inexperienced kind factor.

“It is simply making an attempt to simply accept that pars are an excellent rating. Even in case you do handle to hit the inexperienced, like two-putts aren’t that quite simple. Yeah, it is only a actually powerful take a look at.”

They will all be chasing Patrick Cantlay, who’s on the lookout for his first main championship victory, and Rory McIlroy, who’s making an attempt to win his first in practically 10 years. They set the tempo at 5-under 65.

This is what to search for within the second spherical of the U.S. Open:

Cantlay in a brand-new spot

For the primary time in his profession, Cantlay finds himself on high of a serious championship leaderboard after the primary spherical with a rating of 5-under on the day. The truth is, Cantlay has solely been contained in the top-10 after the primary day of a serious twice earlier than: on the 2022 Masters and the 2019 PGA Championship. His greatest end was on the latter, the place he tied for third place.

After his buddy Xander Schauffele received this 12 months’s PGA Championship, there’s now a case to be made that Cantlay is among the greatest gamers on this planet with out a main victory.

Cantlay has eight PGA Tour wins in his profession and is among the most prolific gamers on tour. And but his main file leaves lots to be desired. This 12 months, he completed tied for twenty second on the Masters and tied for 54th on the PGA Championship.

There’s loads of golf left to play, however Cantlay has instantly put himself in prime place. Whether or not he can maintain it Friday, not to mention by way of Sunday, is a special matter.

On Thursday, Cantlay hit 9 of 14 fairways and solely 10 of 18 greens. It was his quick recreation (3.8 strokes gained in that space) and his placing (solely 23 whole putts!) that fueled his spherical of 65, tied for the bottom ever at Pinehurst No. 2 in a serious.

“I knew going off at 7:40 within the morning, it should play possibly the best it is going to play all week,” Cantlay mentioned. “With the dearth of wind and doubtless the softest we’ll see it. I am actually pleased with the spherical I performed as we speak.”

At first look, Cantlay’s path to remaining atop the leaderboard would not look like sustainable. Certain, you are not going to hit too many greens in regulation at Pinehurst No. 2 anyway, however you are additionally not going to solely want 23 putts to get across the course both. If Cantlay’s putter can stay sizzling and his quick recreation sharp, nevertheless, he will not be going away any time quickly.

Will Pinehurst No. 2 play even more durable the remainder of the week?

Day 1 on Donald Ross’ playground for the perfect gamers on this planet featured a little bit little bit of all the things. We noticed gamers battle to maintain photographs on the inexperienced, go from one bunker to the opposite, take out whole tufts of grass with their method photographs and fall sufferer to the course’s most diabolical contours and challenges.

We additionally noticed 15 gamers shoot underneath par – a reminder that regardless of how powerful the setup could also be, these guys are actually good. That is the identical quantity that shot underneath par after the primary spherical within the 2014 U.S. Open right here.

Even after simply sooner or later, it is evident that Pinehurst’s begin packs a robust punch. The 4 holes that performed the hardest on the golf course Thursday are all within the course’s first eight holes. No two performed more durable than the 528-yard par-4 fourth gap and the 228-yard par-3. Each performed practically half a shot over par.

“There’s all the time going to be somebody that has the sort of day that hits the ball nice, all the things goes his method, makes a few bombs, and you may shoot it,” Sergio Garcia, who completed at 1 underneath, mentioned. “Are we going to see it constantly? If it would not rain, I do not suppose so. You would possibly see somebody, yeah, taking pictures one other 66 or 65 or one thing like that, however on the finish of the day, I believe because the course will get even firmer, even sooner, a tiny little bit of breeze comes up right here and there, it should be troublesome to shoot these sorts of scores.”

Will probably be fascinating to see how the USGA treats the remainder of the golf course from right here on out. The inexperienced speeds fluctuated between 13 and 14 on the Stimpmeter on Thursday and if the golf course will get extra agency, these speeds could grow to be far more durable to cope with because the week goes on.

What does Tiger must do?

After posting a disappointing 4-over 74 within the first spherical, 15-time main champion Tiger Woods hoped to get to the placing inexperienced Thursday to attempt to clear issues up. After making a 12-footer for birdie on No. 10, his first gap, and a pair of good par saves on Nos. 12 and 13, Woods’ putter was too inconsistent on the lightning-fast greens at Pinehurst No. 2.

He made three-putt bogeys on Nos. 17 and 1. The three-time U.S. Open winner missed a 4½-footer for par on the par-4 fourth. To his credit score, Woods did have par saves of 9 ft and 18 ft, respectively, on Nos. 6 and seven, or the spherical may need been worse.

“I would prefer to hit a number of putts,” Woods mentioned after his spherical. “My velocity was not fairly there. I believe I three-putted, what, two or 3 times as we speak? If I clear that up, if I get a pair iron photographs not as unfastened as I did, I am proper there at even par.”

That continues to be the dilemma for Woods in main championships since he returned to aggressive golf after struggling critical accidents to his proper leg in a February 2021 automotive wreck. He is hesitant to ramp issues up an excessive amount of earlier than a serious in concern he would not be capable of get better in time from one other harm.

However enjoying much less golf has left him looking for solutions about his placing due to his lack of reps.

“I am bodily getting higher because the 12 months has gone on,” mentioned Woods, who will attempt to keep away from lacking the lower in his second straight main. “I simply have not been in a position to play as a lot as a result of I simply do not wish to harm myself pre-[tournament], then I will not be capable of play within the main championships.

“It is decide your poison, proper? Play lots with the potential of not enjoying, or not enjoying and battle being not as sharp.”

Work to do Friday

Together with having arguably essentially the most troublesome setup among the many 4 main championships, the U.S. Open additionally has the hardest 36-hole lower. Solely the golfers with the highest 60 scores and ties will probably be round for the ultimate 36 holes this weekend.

The PGA Championship and Open Championship have 36-hole cuts with the highest 70 scores and ties. The Masters retains across the high 50 scores and ties for the weekend, however the first main of the season has a a lot smaller area than the 156-man area within the U.S. Open.

There have been 64 golfers at 2 over or higher after the primary spherical.

There are many big-name gamers with appreciable work to do if they will be round for the ultimate two rounds. Reigning FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, whose recreation lastly confirmed indicators of life with a solo third on the PGA Championship, was no match for Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, posting an 8-over 78.

Together with Woods and Hovland, they embody: Phil Mickelson (9 over), Justin Thomas (7 over), Sahith Theegala (7 over), Will Zalatoris (5 over), Dustin Johnson (4 over), Shane Lowry (4 over), Justin Rose (3 over), Cameron Younger (3 over), defending champion Wyndham Clark (3 over), Sam Burns (3 over) and Matt Fitzpatrick (3 over).

The issue with making an attempt to make up floor at Pinehurst No. 2, in response to Woods, is you can get your self in loads of bother once you press to attempt to make issues occur.

“It could possibly go thus far the opposite method right here, the mistaken method,” Woods mentioned. “It is simply so laborious to get again. It is a golf course that does not quit an entire lot of birdies. It provides up loads of bogeys and better.”

What concerning the amateurs?

There may very well be a extremely good battle this weekend for the Jack Nicklaus Medal, which matches to the low beginner, with Ohio State’s Neal Shipley as soon as once more main the way in which at even par.

You would possibly bear in mind Shipley from the Masters; he was the low beginner at 12-over 300 and beat Woods by 4 photographs in a Sunday pairing at Augusta Nationwide. He had 4 birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey within the first spherical at Pinehurst No. 2.

“Understanding I am comfy out right here is simply large,” Shipley mentioned. “Understanding I can compete on laborious golf programs in opposition to the perfect of the world, making the lower. It is large figuring out once I are available in right here I’ve the power to play nicely.”

Duke’s Bryan Kim (2 over), Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent (3 over) and UCLA’s Omar Morales (3 over) are additionally within the combine.

Sargent earned standing on tour for this season by way of the PGA Tour College Accelerated program, however opted to return to Vanderbilt for his senior season. He deferred his tour membership to June 2025.

Georgia Tech’s Hiroshi Tai, who spent two years within the Republic of Singapore Navy, was 5 over after the primary spherical. He captured an NCAA particular person title at Georgia Tech on Could 27. He earned invites to the U.S. Open and Masters in April 2025.