U.S. Open golf

U.S. Open 2022: Rory McIlroy made a crucial, momentum-saving par at the par-4 fifth hole that he'll look back very fondly if he goes on to contend.

If the Northern Irishman goes onto contend at this U.S. Open, we will undoubtedly look back at this moment as one that saved his tournament. Turns out, that expletive paled in comparison to his reaction that would ensue. He let out an expletive when he arrived to find his lie.

Joel Dahmen has made it a foursome atop the U.S. Open leaderboard among the early starters at The Country Club.

He was replaced in the field by Patton Kizzire, who tees off in the afternoon. Jon Rahm’s defense of his U.S. Open title is off to a good start. He has never made the cut. The 2011 U.S. Open champion drove into the lip of a bunker on the right side of the 310-yard, par-4 hole. David Lingmerth was also at 3 under, with a few holes to play. “If that doesn’t scream to you it’s the Open,” then nothing will, he said. A heck of a finish for Rahm, who struggled with his swing across the back nine. But during the round? He was 2 under when he reached the drivable par-4 fifth, but he blocked his drive right and ended up with a terrible lie – the ball in deep grass just above a bunker. He shot 3-under 67 to finish even with Callum Tarren and David Lingmerth with most of the morning rounds complete. Mickelson had a bogey from the fairway on the first hole and is 1 over through two holes. He played last week for the first time in four months, and there appears to be plenty of rust still in his game.

While on the 18th hole at The Country Club, the Spanish golfer saw his tee shot sailing left with the ball landing under the TV tower. As he began heading over ...

I am 100% sure I saw the two kids that stole it." "I recognized the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face. As he began heading over to the area, Rahm saw two youngsters pick up the ball and run away with it.

Phil Mickelson would qualify as controversial in every conceivable way, even before he took on the PGA Tour and defected to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

Then, he'll get a week off before heading to Pumpkin Ridge in Portland for the first U.S.-based LIV event at the end of the month. Curry's articulate thoughts on the Phil-to-LIV matter were quite the juxaposition with the next catcaller, who was positioned in one of the hospitality tents off 14 fairway and was clearly overserved. "The tour that was so incredibly good to him for 20-plus years, and he's completely tainted his legacy. His final score of eight-over 78 has him positioned in a tie for 144th, 12 shots off the lead of Adam Hadwin and just five shots shy of dead last. The tour would have taken care of him if he was really in that dire need." Phil's the one who is trying to take down the PGA Tour." "I thought he'd get booed out of the place, to be honest with you." Then, somewhat stunningly, came a real, live "boooo" in Mickelson's direction as he strolled to the par-3 sixth tee. Then again, this was the man's 52nd birthday, and this is the U.S. Open, which has caused him the most pain over the course of his three-decade career. Once they quieted, boo-er No. 2 let Mickelson know he was "dead to him." For the last 20 years and then some, he has been among the most beloved players in the sport. His Kiawah like pre-shot process was yielding Centurion-like results, but the Bostonians still opted for a positive-vibes-only approach.

PLAYERX has the early lead at the 2022 U.S. Open after shooting XXX in the first round on Thursday. The NATIONALI The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.

#USOpen pic.twitter.com/6SMjcYqGnD pic.twitter.com/UkoslfvzlQ A solid start for the defending champ 😤@JonRahmPGA fights his way to a 1-under 69. 🗣 SOLO LEAD@ahadwingolf birdies on the 13th to claim the solo lead. 🐦 🐦 par 🐦 🐦 🐦@ahadwingolf has the lead to himself at -4. He was especially bad with his putting in the early going: Johnson carded four birdies on his way to a two-under finish and remains one of the favorites. @McIlroyRory saves par at the 5th. T7. Justin Rose (-2) T7. Matt Fitzpatrick (-2) Rory McIlroy is one of five players tied for second place, while Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm are among the big names within striking distance after the first 18 holes. T7. Dustin Johnson (-2)

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. is the leader after one round of the U.S. Open. Hadwin ran off three straight birdies at the end of the front nine and only ...

Lingmerth was in the same qualifier and had to play 36 holes and then some because of a 5-for-1 playoff for the final spot. That went to Hayden Buckley — he was among those at 68 on Thursday — and Lingmerth was first alternate. Dahmen debated whether to go a 36-hole qualifier 10 days ago in Ohio. The U.S. Open is hard and he had been beat up from travel and pedestrian results. He couldn't save par on that one and had to accept a 67 — not a bad start, and no apologies for his few outbursts of emotion. But now it's time for golf, and there a vibe of relief that focus could turn to a U.S. Open that first came to Brookline more than a century ago. For McIlroy, it was his second straight major — and third time in his last four U.S. Opens — he opened with a score under par. No other major is more open — roughly half the 156-man field has to qualify — and it showed. Even with a good start, and coming off a victory last week in the Canadian Open, it doesn't figure to be easy for McIlroy or anyone else. He hit that into another bunker, and then twice slammed the club into the sand out of frustration. His previous low score in a major was 68 on three occasions, most recently the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park. "It's hard not to get frustrated because I'm walking up there going, `Just come back into the bunker.' The thickest rough on the course is around the edges of the bunker. Adam Hadwin wasn't officially in the U.S. Open until eight days ago.