BROOKLINE, Mass. — There was a lot going on in the first round of the 2022 U.S. Open. The requisite drama around Phil Mickelson? Check. A few tossed clubs? You bet. Kids running off with defending champion Jon Rahm’s ball on the 18th hole? OK. Wild turkeys on the course? Sure.
Canadian Adam Hadwin (4 under) had the lead after one day at The Country Club in Brookline. Hadwin is in the field as an alternate and had a 1-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and four others. McIlroy, who won the RBC Canadian Open last week, was one of those throwing a club Thursday, during a motivated first round that saw him score 67. McIlroy, who held the lead for most of Thursday afternoon, is looking for his fifth major title.
“I’m going into [Friday] with the mindset of let’s keep it going, rather than where is the cut line or whatever,” McIlroy said. “If you don’t get off to a great start, those thoughts start to creep in. It’s certainly a different mindset when you get off to a good start, and yeah, I’ve just got to keep it going.”
What will happen in the second round? We’ll find out.
Birds of a feather
Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world golf rankings, shot 2 under in the first round and is climbing the leaderboard Friday. On the par-5 14th hole, Scheffler paused for a wild turkey to cross his path then made an eagle on the hole.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER 😮
No. 1 is one back. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Frj1nTp0f1
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
4-under on his last 4 holes.
Scottie Scheffler is tied for the lead @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/v22EnhBjFu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Get to know an early leader
The current leader of the 122nd U.S. Open has 822 (and counting) followers on Twitter as of Friday morning. Two years ago, he made $5,750 on the All Pro Tour. He is also a volunteer assistant coach at Houston. But after making the turn at 6 under on Friday, MJ Daffue (pronounced “Duffey”) has a lead over the likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and three others. Daffue, 33, was born in South Africa and played at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He has already earned his PGA Tour card for 2022-23 through his good play on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he is fourth in The 25. He qualified for his first major championship by sharing medalist honors at a qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, and is making the most of it so far. — Mark Schlabach
With four birdies and a bogey over his opening nine, MJ Daffue leads by three shots early in Round 2 of the #USOpen.pic.twitter.com/5UC6t0zSWe
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) June 17, 2022
NEW LEADER@mjdaffue13 (-5) is rolling the rock early at The Country Club! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ysokKKuUBm
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Hands in the air for dad being solo 1st @usopengolf!@mjdaffue13 leads by 2-strokes. pic.twitter.com/ngvUVQeaYK
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 17, 2022
Daffue made a mess of the par-5 14th hole Friday. Somehow, he yanked his tee shot onto a raised walkway near the hospitality area on the left. He had tents, spectators and an oak tree to his left and a temporary fence to his right. After his caddie, Cougars golf coach Jonathan Dismuke, handed him a hybrid, Daffue hit his ball off artificial turf-like carpet. Remarkably, his ball landed in the deep rough above the green. He didn’t get his third shot out, however, then chipped past the pin about 7 feet. He two-putted from there for a bogey, which dropped him to 4 under. — Schlabach
“I’m coming right over you, sir.”
Solo leader @mjdaffue13 hits one off the deck…literally. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/5bo0YIIgpe
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Lefty and the LIV crew
Playing on his 52nd birthday, and with drama swirling around him, Mickelson carded an 8-over 78 and was tied for 144th place among 154 golfers. Without a low score Friday, he is in danger of missing the cut.
Mickelson is among 15 golfers in the field this week who are playing in the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The LIV Golf players in the field this week, for the most part, struggled through the opening round of the U.S. Open. How bad was it? They nearly combined to shoot the name.
LIV, in Roman numerals, is 54.
The 15 LIV players put up a cumulative total Thursday of 53 over. Dustin Johnson (2 under) and James Piot (1 under) were the only ones among the group to break 70. Jed Morgan had the worst day, posting 12-over 82. Mickelson wasn’t much better, shooting 78. Louis Oosthuizen, who was playing with Mickelson, went around in 77.
Big early shots
Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Mickelson are among the big names on the course early Friday.
.@SamBurns66 ALMOST had our first ace of @USOpenGolf 🎯 pic.twitter.com/kQamZLtLCX
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Making it look easy from DEEP 👀 @BKoepka is off to a fast start @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/6VDPNYaEpY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Long birdie putts are all the rage this morning at The Country Club!@JustinThomas34 (+1) decided to get in on the act. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/13qNA4itrf
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
One hole. One birdie.@ShaneLowryGolf drops it in from distance @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/HXk7mfxe17
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
The U.S. Open ain’t easy
The U.S. Open likes to say it is the toughest test in golf. High rough often leads to high scores. Enter PGA champion Justin Thomas at the 10th hole, where he started his second round Friday.
Welp. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/hbULyfO1ay
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
According to shot data provided by the USGA, that one went, oh, 5 feet. Thomas went on to make an opening double bogey. He followed that with a bogey at the 11th and another at the 14th.