Winners and Losers From U.S. Open Round 1: Rory McIlroy Fires Bogey-Free 65

PINEHURST, N.C. – Day 1 of the 2024 U.S. Open is in the books. We call ’em like we see ’em around here. They are:

Winners

Rory McIlroy: The two-time U.S. Open champion was locked in all day, shooting a bogey-free 5-under 65 to tie Patrick Cantlay for the lead. The last three times McIlroy has gone bogey-free in the opening round of a majors, he’s won. He’ll be in position to win this weekend if he keeps playing the way he did Thursday. His monster drives were basically perfect. His irons gave him shots all day at birdies. His putts had perfect pace. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since the PGA Championship in 2014 at Valhalla. Maybe—just maybe—this is the week.

Patrick Cantlay: The eight-time PGA Tour winner was nearly flawless during his opening round, shooting a 5-under 65 with six birdies and one blemish at the par-3 15th. Cantlay finished with only 23 putts and is in great position win his first major. His previous-best finish in 30 majors is third at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Sergio Garcia: The LIV golfer went through 36-hole qualifying in an attempt to extend his consecutive U.S. Opens streak to 25 and was the odd man out of a 7-for-6 playoff, only to get in the field anyway Monday as an alternate. And what did he do with that late reprieve? The Spaniard shot 69 with 17 pars and a birdie, just the sixth bogey-free round in U.S. Opens at Pinehurst.

Ludvig Aberg: The 24-year-old from Sweden made his major championship debut at the Masters, finishing as the runner-up to Scottie Scheffler. At the PGA Championship, he had rounds of 72-70 and missed the cut. But he played an excellent round with Cantlay, recording six birdies on his way to a 4-under 66, and looks poised to challenge for the title. 

Bryson DeChambeau: He’s BAA-aaaaack. Four birdies, one bogey and a tidy little 67 to sit two shots behind McIlroy and Cantlay. DeChambeau has been one of the more entertaining characters to factor heavily in the first two majors this season. He’s ready for his third act.

Losers

Tiger Woods: Perfect conditions greeted Woods in the opening round, and he took advantage getting off to a 1 under start after six holes. But his lack of competitive golf showed the rest of the way with six bogeys, one birdie and a 4-over finish. He’ll need to play flawlessly Friday, and a late start should help him. But unless his short game and putting show up, he could miss the weekend.

Phil Mickelson: Seems hard to believe but we may be watching the last few rounds of the Hall of Famer’s U.S. Open career, as his exemption from the 2021 PGA Championship win ends next year. Hopefully they will get better than Thursday’s ghastly 79, with nine bogeys and zero birdies.

Justin Thomas: The Louisville, Ky., native finished T8 at the PGA Championship, soaking up adulation from every corner of Valhalla Golf Club and earning even more cheers with his play. Is it possible that the next major would somehow be a letdown? Who knows, but an opening 77 is likely sending him home early from North Carolina.

Viktor Hovland: Didn’t make back-to-back pars until his final two holes to cap an ugly 78. He’s arguably atop the Best Player Without a Major List, and it looks like he’ll remain there for at least another month.

Scottie Scheffler: Look, he isn’t out of it. But we have high standards for the World No. 1 and most dominant player today, and for much of the opening round he hardly looked like himself—and it wasn’t just his fresh haircut and shaved beard. He signed for one-over 71, and seeing his name six shots behind the leaders feels like a typo.