It might stand as the best putting round in a major of his entire career. It certainly put the exclamation point on 18 holes that offered the full Rory McIlroy experience, with even a couple of proper temper tantrums thrown in for good measure.
‘They’re helpful at times in reminding yourself what it all means,’ offered McIlroy, with a sheepish smile. ‘It’s been eight years since I’ve had my hands on a major and I want to win one again.’
That much is now obvious. We might never have seen more intent from him than this, as he got the 122nd US Open off to an electrifying start with a highly eventful first round 67 to be by far the biggest name among a quintet of players who finished one shot behind the leader, Canadian Adam Hadwin. Among them was Callum Tarren from Darlington.
Rory McIlroy made an great start to his US Open ambitions with an opening round of 67
McIlroy started on the tenth and had frustration in the fifth as he shot bunker to bunker
Adam Hadwin was the leader after the first round at Brookline with four under
Two rather better known Englishmen, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick, also got off to a good start with rounds of 68 compiled in the gusty afternoon conditions. Defending champion Jon Rahm and Open Champion Collin Morikawa shot 69 with world number one and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler finishing on 70.
McIlroy knows he might never have a better chance than this to get back on track in the majors, with his wedge game honed to new heights and his confidence high following his success last Sunday in the Canadian Open.
‘The most important win of his career,’ was how his putting coach Brad Faxon summed up his triumph on Sky Sports.
For that comment to have meaning, McIlroy has to build on his fast start here in a manner that eluded him at the USPGA last month, where he began with a 65. He’s certainly demonstrated how much he cares after a round that covered every base, from exquisite touch to full-blown rage.
McIlroy stepped on to the 10th tee shortly after 7-30am in a shirt so decorative it rather unkindly led some to draw comparisons with the garish outfits worn by the American Ryder Cup team for the fateful singles matches here in the 1999 Ryder Cup.
More concerning were a number of wayward shots that would have led to considerable damage to his scorecard but for the fact his short game is presently razor-sharp.
A good 8ft putt for par at the 13th was followed by a marvellous up and down at the 15th that appeared to settle him. At the par three 16th he hit his first authentically crisp iron shot of the round and followed the 12ft putt he holed on the previous green with one from 20ft for his first birdie.
Duly emboldened, he took a line with his drive off the 17th so outrageous it cut out the intended dog-leg shape completely and left him with just a 40 yard pitch for his approach to this 380 yard par four.
He finished on three under par after losing a shot on the final hole of his round on Thursday
A fine shot to 6ft left him with a slippery sidehill putt that didn’t carry enough pace. McIlroy then compensated by holing from 20ft for a birdie at the 18th to complete an encouraging first nine holes.
At the par three 2nd, a wayward tee shot left him in an awful spot, where he did well to recover to 20ft. It was proving his favourite length of putt, as he rolled that one in for an unlikely par and gave a little clenched fist salute. Sometimes the putts for par mean more than the ones for birdie and particularly at a grinding event like this.
Even more valuable was the one gathered at the driveable par four 5th, following an extraordinary tantrum. He explained afterwards his ire was fuelled partly by the slowness of the group in front, including the appropriately-named American, Scott Stallings.
McIlroy’s three wood finished in a horrible spot just above a bunker that necessitated him choking down on a wedge to the point where his hands were on the shaft rather than the grip in order to play the shot. It only travelled 15 yards….into another bunker.
McIlroy’s frustration got the better of him on occasion but he held it together
England’s Callum Tarren made a promising start and shares the lead with McIlroy on -3
You could say he wasn’t happy. Not once but twice, he thrashed at the sand, his face incandescent. Once more, though, his short game saved him. A bunker shot to 20ft and yes, he rolled that one in as well.
He holed another at the 7th and then the 8th. It was getting silly now. It was like watching Jordan Spieth in his prime.
It couldn’t last and he could hardly complain when he went to the well one more time at the 9th, after he had tossed his club angrily following a poor approach and missed for once, for his first bogey of the day. Given what had gone before, you half expected him to throw his putter to the crowd but he kept his cool on this occasion.
He’s never boring, is he?
