The U.S. Open is hailed as the most hard tournament in golf.
But he rallied with two birdies and an eagle at the last to keep himself in title contention at Erin Hills.
American Rickie Fowler tamed Erin Hills to claim the first-round lead at the US Open on Thursday, making the so-called toughest test in golf look easy with a record-equalling display while the big guns failed to fire. They were three shots clear of anyone else.
Jason Day closed the opening round of the US Open on Thursday (Friday, Manila time) with a forgettable 79, putting him in a tie for 151st place and 14 shots off leader Rickie Fowler of the US.
And it doesn't stop there.
Unfortunately for the four-time major victor he looked on course to be doing precisely that on Friday afternoon after struggling to an opening 78, which featured an eagle on the second, four bogeys and double bogeys on the 15th and 17th.
Paul Casey admitted it was rare to "enjoy" a round with a triple-bogey eight on his card after he staged a remarkable fightback in the second round of the US Open.
Maybe 2017 will be the year of the first-time major winners on the PGA Tour?
Attribute that to the Wisconsin weather.
Trump was 'wrong' to leave climate change deal: United Kingdom minister
The US has refused to sign up to a G7 pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the "irreversible" global tool to address climate change .
Playing with a Green Bay Packers-inspired green-and-gold bag, Fowler got the crowd on his side early and never made a single bogey all day long.
It was the ideal recipe for low scoring, provided the ball was kept in the short grass.
The long, thick fescue is among the most penal grasses players have seen in a U.S. Open. Fowler took advantage of Erin Hills' four par 5s, all of which he birdied, including two that game back-to-back as Fowler registered three straight birdies as he made the turn.
Three players - Brian Harman, Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka - were in the clubhouse on five under, two back from Fowler. He made double bogeys on both holes to balloon to 6 over. The defending champion shot a 73. Fowler's streak ended at 28 holes, however, when he went just long on the 11th hole and had to chip sideways to have any chance of a reasonable par putt.
Johnson shot a 75 on the afternoon and is really going to have to figure out the course and get a better feel for it on Friday.
The U.S. Golf Association says complimentary bottled water will be provided at all drinking water stations for the rest of the tournament, which runs through Sunday. It has learned to accept that in pristine scoring conditions - mainly, soft conditions - low scores don't distract from the tournament. McIlroy was only one shot better.
There were as many amateurs who broke par as players in the top 10 in the world - two each. "I thought they might stop play". The last major he played in was the 2015 PGA Championship.
"I think at the end of the day, it's competitive rounds and get the card in my hand", McIlroy said.
After heavy rains early in the week softened the massive Erin Hills layout for record-setting low scores in the opening round, a dry day was in the forecast for the second round, which could speed up fairways and greens at the links-styled layout.
Comments