• Ian Poulter has a one-under 69 but Tiger Woods struggles
How abruptly the fun can stop. Rory McIlroy’s buildup had included a series of Long Island golf outings in the company of friends, in a re-acquaintance with an element of the sport that is lost when it becomes a professional pursuit. A return to the competitive scene delivered a reminder of its harsh realities; on a brutal opening day at the US Open, where stellar names did little to mask their frustrations, McIlroy stood over an 11-foot putt on the 18th needing to make it to break 80.
The Northern Irishman’s attempt was to slide by, ensuring the matching of his highest single round score in a major championship. US Open Thursdays have been curiously cruel to McIlroy recently; this 80 follows a 78 in 2017 and 77 two years ago. Shinnecock’s par of 70 adds further bruising context.
Written by Ewan Murray at Shinnecock Hills
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jun/14/rory-mcilroy-jordan-spieth-us-open-poulter-rose under the title “Rory McIlroy, Mickelson and Spieth suffer on brutal first day at US Open”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
