Right at the very top
Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead after the first round of the 2024 US Open. He shot a bogey-free five-under 65 to tie Patrick Cantlay atop the leaderboard. It was a clinic of sensibility and precision from the Northern Irishman, who played exactly how you are supposed to in a US Open.
He missed only three greens in regulation and chipped in for birdie on one of those misses. The Ulsterman also destroyed the ball off the tee, as we are accustomed to seeing from him. He hit this piercing low draw on his way to 11 out of 14 fairways. It was a near-perfect round, capped off by holing a mid-length birdie on the last.
previous major flaws
It has been nearly a decade since McIlroy last won a major, and his drought is well-documented in the media. He has been in contention since, but only a handful of times. Last year at LACC, spring immediately came to mind, as did Carnoustie in 2018. But despite several top 10s, he has not been in the mix come the back nine on Sunday a whole lot.
And yes, we are only 25% of the way through the tournament, but Rory’s performance on Thursday echoes a sustainable game plan he drew up and executed. Despite the chip-in on the fifth, it was fairways and the middle of the green all day; he even had a couple of close putts that could have dropped.
In the three prior instances where Rory has opened a major with a bogey-free round, he has gone on to win. Can he make that four times this week? It is hard to stress just how early on in the tournament we are, but it is also impossible not to now feel bullish about McIlroy’s chances.
A long time coming
We have been waiting for this round from Rory in a major. He always has one round across the four that lets him down. Typically, in the past, it has been a sluggish first round that outs him behind the eight ball. Other times it has been a poor Friday or Saturday where he wastes a good first round and leaves himself with too much to do in the final round. This week, he needs to ensure that that doesn’t happen and continue to play the way he played on Thursday. If he does, it will most likely be his name at the top of the leaderboard when play concludes.
Embed from Getty ImagesMcIlroy has been surprisingly quiet in public this week, unlike his usual bubbly and chatty self, with both his peers and the media. His private affairs have been made public recently, something he wishes he could retract, but his status in golf prohibits any secrets. He has been in his bubble. Yet, whilst not being rude or arrogant, he has adopted a stoic demeanour that is working through 18 holes.
Can he maintain?
This championship has a long way to go, and the course will seemingly get harder as we approach the weekend. Only 15 players are under par through day one, similar to ten years ago. In 2014, were 15 players under par after Round One, and 304 birdies were made.
A decade later, the same number of players were under par, and just two fewer bridies were made in the field. The scoring average is also only 0.3 higher, with 73.26 on Thursday compared to 73.23 in 2014. Pinehurst presents a very real challenge. A challenge that Rory McIlroy has accepted and conquered so far. Can he emulate the same patience for 72 holes?